Cowell fights bad reputation

This news story was originally published in The Santa Clara on Nov. 19, 1992 and discusses student perceptions of Cowell Center.

By Amy Raimundo

Volume 71 No. 9, Nov. 19, 1992

With the cold season striking, many SCU students may find themselves making trips to Cowell Health Center.

But some may hesitate.

Cowell is a target of the student rumor mill.

"We've heard since we got here, ‘go in with a hangnail, come out with strep throat,’” said sophomore Ryan Ramaekers.

Ramaekers, along with other students, said he had the impression that there are not "real" doctors at Cowell, an image the health center has been trying to rid itself of for years.

The notion that a student would go to Cowell and come back with strep throat began about seven years ago, when a doctor at the clinic almost automatically gave students penicillin shots during visits.

Paula Stalling, clinic manager at Cowell, predicts that students' perceptions of Cowell may take 10 to 15 years to overcome. However, the process has already begun. Most people who worked at the center five to six years ago have either retired or moved on.

"We are working hard to change and improve and get in tune with the students," said Stalling.

Some students who have received medical aid from the health center this year have been fairly pleased with the service, saying that the doctors have been courteous and professional.

Last month approximately 750 students visited Cowell. Twenty-three of those students returned for a follow-up exam and 350 suffered from upper respiratory infections.

Sophomore Amanda Wallen had a second blood test run after her first came up negative for mononucleosis. She said that the doctor did not rule mono out.

"That's valid because we're in college and we're running ourselves down, so they have to be cautious," said Wallen.

About the same amount of junior, senior and graduate students use Cowell as do freshman and sophomores, indicating that students will use Cowell regardless of whether they live on or off campus.

"It's free, so we might as well use it," said junior Brian Blackman, who lives off. campus. "If we go anywhere else, it'll cost too much."

Many of the 350 students with upper respiratory infections have turned out to have a virus.