By Madeline Unger
Cassandra Rojas, a freshman early childhood education major, recalled her experience on Sept. 12, when she tried to access medical care for a sinus infection at the University of Maryland.
Initially wanting to try the University of Maryland Health Center, Rojas was found unable to receive care due to her illness starting over the weekend.
She opted to try the closest urgent care center to campus, the College Park Medical Center, but was charged a $160 fee for walk-in treatment. Opting for the second-closest medical center, Patient First, meant a 15-minute Uber ride and an additional $30 round trip.
“It ended up being three hours from when I left my dorm to when I got back,” she said.
For many students, this is the reality they face when trying to seek medical care outside of the University Health Center’s operating hours.
“It’s surprising that [UMD] wouldn’t have anything on campus available to students throughout the weekend. It’s when most people have free time to go to the nurse,” Rojas said.
Graydon Hipple, a freshman economics and philosophy major, who required medical attention Sept. 5, had a more positive experience at PM Pediatrics, another nearby urgent care center.
“It was efficient; I made an appointment online, and the copay was only $30,” Hipple said.
The health center offers care to UMD students Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rojas said these are restrictive hours that may prevent students from accessing medical care due to classes or time constraints.
“I understand why [the health center] is closed on weekends; it’s hard to hire people to work on the weekends, and the timing is not practical,” Hipple said.
On the health center’s website, resources about how to receive weekend care are listed under Emergency and After Hours Care. Nearby urgent care centers are listed, including Patient First.
The medical center does offer an After Hours Nurse Line for students seeking care after standard opening hours.
“She didn’t say anything helpful that I didn’t already know,” Rojas said, who utilized the line when she sought after-hours care.
Bryce Maddox, a freshman psychology major, also shared his visit to the campus health center on Sept. 4. He opted to “stick it out” until he could be seen on campus.
“The matter I was concerned about should have been treated as a priority, but the person I spoke to [at the center] didn’t seem to understand that,” Maddox said.
When he needed medical care, the earliest he could receive care from the center was Sept. 10.
Similarly, Hipple shared his experience scheduling an appointment at the on-campus Medical Center
“When I did try to make an appointment when I was sick, it was a week out,” he said.
For students like Rojas and Maddox, they said that the university is not prioritizing students’ demand for access to medical care during the weekends. Rojas said she wishes the health center were open for a few hours on weekends or offered other options besides speaking to a nurse.
“They don’t have enough resources to have appointments for everyone who needs or wants care,” Hipple said.
Hipple hopes UMD would not cut medical funding over other expenditures, while acknowledging that financial restraints make weekend healthcare coverage not possible.
“Medical funding is something direly necessary for universities, so I don’t think they should cut it, but I do understand the fact that there are financial restraints [to fund these programs].” He said.
As the Spring semester approaches, a question of whether UMD students will continue to opt for urgent care centers arises, not just because of lack of weekend coverage, but because of a lack of urgency.
“Setting up an appointment at the health center is annoying, and doesn’t provide same-day service,” said Hipple, supporting his decision to continue to opt for urgent care centers over campus-provided care.
Featured Image: The outside of the University of Maryland Health Center on Oct. 21, 2026. Photo by Madeline Unger.