If you or someone nearby is currently needing emergency care, please call 911.
While you are living in the United States, you may have to seek care for illnesses or injuries, and it will be important to know where you can go and who you can contact to receive the appropriate level of care for your issue.
While you are living in the United States, you may have to seek care for illnesses or injuries, and it will be important to know where you can go and who you can contact to receive the appropriate level of care for your issue.
Pharmacy & Medicine
Over-the-counter medicine: Medicine you can get without a prescription from a doctor.
Prescription: Medicine you can only get with a note from a doctor.
Many medications for treating common illnesses are generally available from stores or pharmacies without prescriptions.
- There may be differences in what is available with and without prescriptions in the U.S. versus what is available in your country.
- If you have questions about how to access certain medications, please speak with a pharmacist or other licensed medical professional.
- Pharmacy Locations:
- Most grocery stores
- Drugstores like CVS and Walgreens
- Student Health Services - only available to current TAMU students
- You may be able to get prescriptions mailed directly to you through a prescription vendor like Express Scripts (the provider for TAMU health insurance plans)
Doctor Appointments
If you need to see a doctor for anything non-urgent, try to make appointments in advance. It’s cheaper to use doctors that are in-network for your health insurance plan. You can check your health insurance provider’s website to find in-network medical providers.
- If you plan to live in one area for a long time, you may want to set up a primary care doctor or family practice doctor. This will be the doctor you see most often for routine care.
- If you have on-going health needs that require specialist care, and need to make an appointment, you may be asked to speak with a primary care doctor and receive a referral for the specialist.
- Depending on availability, appointments may be hard to make. It is advised that you try to contact your primary doctor’s office for appointments well in advance of when you need the appointment.
- Clinic Locations: Below are a few of the clinics available. There may be others available based on where you live in the Bryan/College Station area:
| Texas A&M Student Health Services Appointments (979)458-8310 | St. Joseph Health Appointments (979)774-2121 | Baylor Scott & White Convenient Care (979)207-3300 |
Urgent Care / Walk-in Appointment
Use an Urgent Care clinic if you need to meet with a doctor about new symptoms, new illness, or new injury, but do not have an appointment or cannot make a timely appointment.
- Learn the difference between Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room
- Wait times depend on how many other patients are there, the time of day you are seeking care, and how urgent your symptoms are.
- You may have to fill out new patient forms if you do not have an existing record with that company or care provider. Do not count on them having access to your previous medical records.
- If you have a primary care doctor, make sure their office receives the records from urgent care visits.
Telehealth
Following COVID-19, many care providers have started offering Telehealth services. This care is recommended for when you have symptoms or injuries where a doctor can provide a diagnosis with uploaded pictures over a video call. Depending on the provider, this may only be available if you are an established patient with that company or facility.
Local Telehealth Lines:
Texas A&M Dial-A-Nurse (979)458-8379 | Baylor Scott & White Virtual Care |
2nd.MD (available with TAMU employee insurance plans) (866) 841-2575 | St. Joseph Health Televisit (979)457-4738 |
Emergency Care
If you are or someone nearby is currently needing emergency care, please call 911.
If you are speaking to emergency care professionals on behalf of yourself or another person, please respond to them openly and honestly. Do not lie or omit information that may be illegal or embarrassing.
If you need care outside of clinic hours, and it cannot wait until morning, you can seek care from emergency facilities. Otherwise, Emergency Care should be reserved for life-threatening situations.
- Learn about the difference between Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room
- You will receive care based on the urgency of your need. Many emergency care facilities are understaffed and have long wait times for care.
- Emergency care facilities charge more for care. Please be advised that you can expect to pay a minimum of several hundred dollars for treatment.
- Depending on why you’re seeking care, you may be admitted to a hospital for extended monitoring.
Hospitalization
DO NOT go to a U.S. hospital for general care or minor medical concerns!
Hospital admission is generally for longer-term care and monitoring. If you are admitted to a hospital, you should follow the recommendations of the health care providers. Additionally, expect restrictions on who can visit you, when they can visit, what they can bring for you, what you can eat or drink, and what you’re allowed to do while hospitalized.
If you are admitted to a hospital, the department you’re admitted to is determined by your care needs. Please feel free to ask your providers what department you’re in and what that means. Hospitalization is incredibly expensive in the U.S. An overnight stay can cost thousands of dollars. If you are admitted, you should follow the advice from your caregivers to leave as soon as is reasonable.