Posted by alexandra_k on January 7, 2005, at 0:07:49
In reply to Re: Cool U.S. cities ... » alexandra_k, posted by Pfinstegg on January 6, 2005, at 23:24:57
> I think what happens here is that you subscribe to the Student Health Service of the University you are studying at.
Yeah, thats what I do here and that enables me to use the services that the university offers. But as an International Student you also have to have 'Extended Student Health Coverage' for hospital cover, optometrist, dentist etc. I think it is a requirement for entry into the country and the department covers the cost of that (at over $1,000 US per year). They pay out a certain ammount for mental health (thinking here of medication and therapy) and that is in addition to the student health services which I was kind of thinking as a first port of call.
This was actually the question that got me looking for an online support board. I tried emailing (anonomously) a certain person in a psychiatry department in the area to try and find out what may be available to me and all she did was (fairly nastily) try to dissuade me from even applying. She said I would not be offered adequate services and the message was fairly clearly 'someone with a diagnosis of BPD should not be applying'. I chose to email her because she was supposed to be a specialist in BPD but there was no lack of judgement there.
>which could offer you really good care at very nominal cost.
Hmm. It would indeed have to be 'minimal' cost as living stipends are pretty stingey. In fact I have no idea how stingey because I have no idea of the cost of living, but I was told that 'most' students manage to cope, which probably is some indication. Also I have not figured out what you are supposed to do for the other three months when the living stipend is for nine months of the year. Don't tell me I am actually going to have to get a JOB. I mean really, I have been on the sickness benefit all my life except when I have been studying / tutoring...
I figured that things would be better for me somewhere like that...
Now it is just a matter of just wait and see and lets not hold our breath :-)
poster:alexandra_k
thread:436479
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050106/msgs/438844.html