Teen (12–18 years) · Young adult (18–21 years) · Teens, Vaccines, Behavioral & mental health
Leaving for college: the health checklist for students and parents
Before move-in: a well visit, required vaccines (meningitis B, updated boosters), a copy of records, medication refills, an insurance card that works out of state, and a plan for mental health support. Ninety minutes now saves a semester later.
Key takeaways
- Schedule the pre-college well visit in early summer; forms take time
- Meningococcal B and MenACWY, Tdap, HPV, flu and COVID: most campuses require or recommend them
- A 90-day supply of any regular medication, and a refill plan with a pharmacy near campus
- Know how your insurance works out of state and where the campus health center is
- A named counselor or therapist and the 988 line saved in the phone before the first hard week
Vaccines and forms
Most Georgia colleges require MenACWY (one dose after 16), Tdap, MMR and varicella, and strongly recommend meningococcal B, which is not on the routine schedule and protects against the strain behind campus outbreaks. HPV vaccination can be completed up to 26. Flu and updated COVID vaccines each fall. We complete the college health form and send immunization records to the school portal; bring the form or the link to the visit.
Medications and ongoing conditions
- Refills: a 90-day supply and a prescription transferred to a pharmacy near campus
- Controlled medications (for ADHD, for example) need a plan: monthly prescriptions, a pharmacy that can fill them, and locked storage in the dorm
- Asthma: an action plan and rescue inhaler in the backpack, a spare in the room
- Allergies: two epinephrine auto-injectors and a written plan for the dining hall
- Diabetes, seizures, mental health conditions: a letter for the disability services office, which arranges housing, testing and attendance accommodations
Insurance and records
Check whether your plan covers care where the campus is; HMO plans often need a referral for out-of-area care, and many students use the campus health center for routine visits. Your student should carry their insurance card, know their medication names and doses, and have a copy of their immunization record and problem list on their phone. At 18 they control their own records; a signed release lets us talk with you when they want that.
Mental health
The first semester is when anxiety, depression, eating disorders and substance use most often surface or worsen. Before move-in: find the campus counseling center and its after-hours line, save 988, and agree on what your student will do and whom they will tell if they are struggling. A student already in therapy should arrange care near campus or telehealth before leaving. We provide referrals and continue to see students home on breaks.
Everyday health
- Sleep: 7 to 9 hours; the all-nighter is a myth of productivity
- Alcohol: the biggest single health risk on campus; know the signs of alcohol poisoning and call 911, Georgia’s medical amnesty law protects the caller
- Sex: contraception options and STI testing are confidential at the campus health center and with us
- Meningitis, mono, flu and COVID spread fast in dorms; wash hands, do not share drinks, and see the health center for fever with a stiff neck or rash
When to call us
- To schedule the pre-college visit and forms, ideally by June
- A student home on break who needs a refill, a form or a check-in
- You are worried about your student’s mood, eating or drinking; we can talk with them by telehealth
Go to the emergency room or call 911 if…
- Fever with stiff neck, rash or confusion: possible meningitis, go to the ER
- A student who is unresponsive after drinking: call 911
- Thoughts of suicide: 988 or the nearest ER
Questions parents ask
Can my student still see you after 18?
Yes, through age 21. Many students come home for breaks and keep us as their medical home until they settle with an adult practice. See care from 18 to 21.
Do you do telehealth for students out of state?
Licensing limits us to patients physically in Georgia at the time of the visit. Students out of state use the campus health center; we help coordinate.
Not sure? Ask us
Call or text the office during hours, or send a portal message. For emergencies call 911.
(770) 615-7000Trusted further reading
- HealthyChildren.org (opens in new tab)American Academy of Pediatrics
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (opens in new tab)988 Lifeline