I’m excited to announce that the 3rd edition of my passion project, The ULTIMATE College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness, is now available. If you’re new here, welcome! My name is Jill Grimes, MD, better known as “Dr. Jill” or “the College Doc”. I’m a board-certified family physician who enjoyed private practice for roughly 20 years, then switched my focus to teen and young adult health. I treated college students in an on-campus university urgent care setting for about 7 years, until the pandemic hit, and I pivoted to public health initiatives. As … Read more
What should I put in a college first aid kit
Packing for College? Don’t Forget These 8 Items!
Excitement and anxiety are in the air as students across the country prepare to fly the nest and head off to college. Universities provide useful shopping lists for dorm necessities, while Pinterest and TikTok will add more mini-lights, tapestries and pillows to your list than you can count! So why am I adding to your list? Because as both a college mom & a college physician, I know the most common items that students forget or simply don’t think to pack…till they actually need them.
1. Prescription Glasses: if your student wears contacts, PLEASE be sure they take a pair … Read more
5 Summer “Must-Do’s” Before Starting College
CONGRATS to the Class of 2021! While my Pandemic-Powered Seniors post shares why this class may turn out to be the best prepared college freshmen yet, there’s still some “summer homework” I’d recommend before they fly the nest. NOW is the time for students to begin actively preparing for and engaging with their new school and community. Here are 5 ways grads can get ahead:
- HOMESICKNESS is real, and ironically, often worse in students who stay close to home. Kids who are close enough to go home for meals and laundry often miss out on the spontaneous hang-outs, meals and
The Best 2020 College First Aid Kit
Ten years ago, I blended my craft-loving, Girl Scout leader “always be prepared” skills with my family medicine physician experience to create a practical high school graduation gift- a college first aid kit. That first kit had basic essentials for cuts and colds, a thermometer, an ACE wrap, and a few assorted remedies for seasonal allergies, migraines, and heartburn. I stuck a little index card inside that had a few tips about when to use what (like Tylenol vs Advil). Each year, I added more items and instructions, as our friends’ kids began using these kits and texting me for … Read more