i know im only a junior in high school but im starting to think about what colleges i'd like to apply to. i was jsut wondering if there is anything i should look into when applying concerning my diabetes.thanks alot
Personally, the last thing in my mind when applying to colleges for undergrad was my diabetes... but then again, I knew that my top choice was located about 30 minutes away from home where I can continue seeing the same doctors. So if you are planning to leave the state, first thing you should do is visit or call the school's health clinic and ask as many questions as possible concerning about your diabetes and emergencies, get a list of endocrinologists in that area and ask your current doctor for his/her recommendations. You should also let your doctor know that you are moving so you can stock up with enough medication before leaving, and first thing you should do is find a pharmacy where you can order your supplies once you get settled in. You'll probably need to contact your endo again since he/she will have to write a new prescription for you since it's out of state.
I'm pretty sure I missed out on other important points, but that's all I can think of for now :)
Take care and best of luck. Oh, and just to make you feel better, it's never too early to start thinking about these things. In fact, Junior year is when you should start planning about college and the SATs.
I was diagnosed in May (end of my senior year) so I had already picked my college, but I definitely talked to the health clinc. They are so helpful. If I ever have any problems I can go to them. They give me information on the flu shots for the high risk category and any other information that they think I might need.
I also registered with the disabilities clinic, but only because I am recently diagnosed, however the benefits are nice. Basically they just had a form that I gave to all my professors that stated I was diabetic and needed food/drink in the classroom and I might need a break. This way there's no questions ever asked if I am eating something or I need to leave for some reason. They also offer early registering for classes if I find that it's difficult for me to get into classes around my eating schedule.
Basically it is up to you and what you decide you think you need. I like it because I have the help and support of at least two centers on campus if something does happen. So check into the medical center and the disabilities clinic (if you so choose) just to see what you offer.
I also decided I need an endo around where I am going to school so in December I am switching.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask!!
You should prob look into the cafeterias the schools have on campus and make sure they got some good food to eat! You definitely want to be able to count carbs!
I didn't really do that tho. I was not concerned about my diabetic situation in school really. Well, of course, I live an hour away from my home, so if I ran out of diabetic supplies, I was able to go home and pick more up. Another good thing to look into is to find a hospital close to the campus that will take care of diabetes during emergencies and give you supplies when you need them.
If you take care of your diabetes fine, then pick the school you like the most! pick a place where you will be happy and comfortable at.
Like Case Western Reserve University. That is where I roll ; )
and listen to the other advice also. I kind of repeated what they said cause I didn't read ahead haha. my fault.
I honestly didn't think alot about my diabetes when applying to schools. I truly believe that diabetes shouldn't get in the way of any aspect in my life. However, some things that you might want to look into are health services on campus (they gave me my sharps container and will even recycle it for me when it's full) and academic services/ dean of studies to help you make an academic accommodations form (similar to a 504 if you know what that is). Another good thing to look for might be the schools proximity to a hospital. Most colleges/ universities have these types of services but it might be good to ask about where they are in relations to dorms or if there are people you can contact on the weekend. Best of luck with your college search!
I agree, check in with the local health clinic, on campus health is always cheap and they usually have at least one Dr. who deals with the diabetics, and ask your endocrin if there are any other endo's in the area of the college you want to go to that he/she could recommend. Then you can switch to them while you are in school and dont have to miss classes to drive home for a check up. I made sure my roommate, (freshman year only, then i stayed in single rooms) knew all about my diabetes, and what to do in case of an emergency. I also gave the hall director and my RA the same information so that i felt safe and they did too. I let my professors know the first day of class that i was diabetic, so that they knew there may be times when i would miss class due to a high or low, all of them were accommadating and understanding. One thing many diabetics dont realize they can do though is register with the student disability office. All they need is a letter from your Dr. stating that yes you are diabetic, and you can rearrange exams much easier for finals, and also get priority registration for classes. This means you can register at least a week earlier than most students, like the athletes do, so that you can work your classes around your diabetes schedule. This opens up almost all sections of classes so you can set it up that you will usually always have lunch at 12, so no classes before 8...and so on, in case you tend to have a high or low in the morning, or need to eat at certain times. This is a very useful resource that i recommend to all diabetics. Its there for us, as a helping tool.