Students planning on studying abroad next year can use the Health and Counseling Center’s online portal to make necessary health preparations for their program.

Students can print immunization records from their account in the Web system or make appointments for travel medications and shots.

Going into study abroad season, the portal is working “so far, so good,” said health center practice coordinator manager Erica Mischke.

In addition to making appointments online, once established with a health care provider students can leave messages through the system to contact their provider with questions. If coming to the Health Center for a physical examination. Students can electronically submit the required forms through the web portal, saving time.

For now, the Health Center has no plans to expand on the features offered through the web portal, said Mischke.

“We want to get as many students as we can used to using it,” she said. The Health Center will try to get student’s feedback on the system and then possibly add on features based on what students want. When students check in for appointments, staff can tell if they made the appointment online and ask the students how it went, Mischke said.

Health Center staff also consulted the Student Health Advisory Council on the workings of the portal to receive input from students about how it was working.

“Students are used to using the computer for everything, whether taking notes in class or Facebook, and this seems to be working well,” she said.