Appointments
How do I make an appointment?
What if I need more than a 15 minute appointment?
Please ask the receptionist at the time of booking. There is an additional charge for a 30 minute appointment.
How much does it cost?
When can I see a nurse instead of a doctor?
Do I need an appointment for repeat prescriptions?
To obtain a repeat prescription for a medication you will need to make an appointment with one of the doctors at Student health.
Some Students who are on long-term, regular medications may be able to get future repeat prescriptions without seeing a doctor. An initial GP appointment needs to be made to see if you are eligible for this option. If you are interested please discuss this with your GP at your next appointment.
Please note, we DO NOT offer a telephone or email service for repeat prescriptions.
Nurses at Student Health are able to provide prescriptions for contraceptive and asthma medications as long as the student has been assessed by a doctor at student health in the preceding 12 months.
New students
What if it is my first visit?
At your first visit to Student Health you will be required to complete a questionnaire about your medical history and an enrolment form to ensure we have all the correct details for you.
Or you could download the enrolment forms here to complete and bring with you to your first appointment.
If you have a community services card you will need to bring that with you to your first appointment to be loaded into our system. Once it is in our system it will remain active until it expires at which point you will need to advise us of your new card number. We encourage you to apply for a CSC as this will give you access to cheaper medical care.
How to apply for a community services card?
Who can use Student Health?
What if I am an Otago University student based in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Invercargill?
Students based out of Dunedin do not pay the Student Services Fee.
Your individual departments will have given you the options available to you for health care while you are studying.
If you are in Dunedin for semester breaks we will see you, however you will be charged a higher consultation fee as you have not paid the student services fee.
What If I am a University Staff member?
If you are employed by the University over 18.75 hours you are not eligible to attend SHS.
Can my family use the service?
As our resources are limited we can only provide primary health care services to students enrolled at the University who have paid their student services fee.
Health Declarations and Exams
When do I need a medical cert during semester?
You should first go to your tutor, lecturer or course coordinator to seek an extension or exemption from academic requirements.
Only if any of the above insist on a medical certificate for your illnesses or if you are not comfortable in informing any of the above about your illness then make an appointment at Student Health for a medical certificate. This will ensure appointments for fellow students who need medical attention are available.
What is the process for exam special consideration?
For all impairment applications you will need to complete an application on eVision, and fill out a Health Declaration form. Please note you are only required to fill out Part A. Part B will be completed by a clinician.
Your completed Health Declaration form needs to be handed into Student Health. There is a $10 charge for all special consideration applications. This is to cover the extra time involved in processing and assessing the applications.
Where possible we encourage you to attend Student Health on the day of your illness as it is very difficult to retrospectively provide support for impairment.
For everything you need to know, including forms, go to exams.
Health Records
What happens with my Health Records?
All Health care records are stored on our patient management database (Medtech). This includes GP, Nurse, Counselling, Psychiatry and all health information sent to us from Hospitals and Private Specialists.
Only Student Health staff that are involved in providing your healthcare will have access to your health file. University staff outside of SHS do not have access to your information without your written signed consent.
Student Health will require you to complete an enrolment form to enable us to provide you with a full range of primary health care services and to obtain your consent to share your health information with external health care providers that are involved in your health care eg. Hospital specialists and Emergency Department.
More about Health Records
How do I transfer my health records to / from another GP?
We do not automatically obtain your Health Records from a previous provider
Your SHS doctor may ask you to complete a transfer of records form so we can obtain a full copy of your records from your previous health provider.
Alternatively if you want your records available to Student Health, you can arrange the transfer yourself by completing this form:
Authority to release health records form (PDF)
When you leave Student Health and sign up with a new GP they will request permission to get your records from Student Health.
If you are returning to your previous GP please advise them that you have been seen at Student Health.
How do I access my own health records?
To obtain a copy of your own health records, you will need to sign and complete this form:
Authority to release health records form (PDF)
Please note this could take up to 10 working days.
To send completed transfer or access forms to Student Health, please use one of the following options:
To Student Health reception
Via email to student-health@otago.ac.nz
Fax 03 479 8106
