BATON ROUGE — College students who establish a relationship with a primary care physician before the school year starts are better positioned to manage their health on and off campus, Dr. Randy del Mundo, a primary care physician at Ochsner Health Center in Prairieville, said.

College is the first time many young adults take managing their health into their own hands, making it important to have a trusted doctor who knows their medical history.

Even students who feel healthy still benefit from annual wellness visits, which help ensure vaccines, screenings and routine health checks are up to date, del Mundo says.

Those visits also cover nutrition, sleep, stress management, sexual health and mental health, all of which play a role in academic success and overall well-being, del Mundo added. 

Students heading to school away from home can still stay connected with their doctor through virtual visits, secure messaging and online patient portals. If in-person care is needed while away, a primary care physician can help determine whether an urgent care visit, campus health center or referral to a local provider is the right next step.

Del Mundo visited 2une In on Wednesday to share more about student healthcare.