The Dental Clinic is one of many services offered to students, including Campus Health Services and a Travel office. Dental services begin in January. (Photo by Brad Harapiak/SAIT Polytechnic)
Book binding, pregnancy testing, and winter getaways are just some of the on-campus services offered at SAIT.
Polish your pearly whites
SAIT is chock-full of useful resources that many students don’t even know about.
Did you know that on the fourth floor of the Senator Burns building, you can get your teeth polished for $10?
Starting at the beginning of the winter semester and ending in May, SAIT’s Dental Clinic, located in room NR414 of the Senator Burns building, offers a host of dental services priced at $10 each.
For a family of three or more, the price is set at $25 per service for the entire family.
Kim Penner, who has worked at SAIT as a dental assisting instructor for eight years, said that students carry out all the dental work at the clinic under the supervision of dental care professionals.
Penner said that many SAIT students are unaware of the clinic’s existence.
“The majority of our patients are from the general public,” she said.
The clinic operates from January until the end of May and offers a variety of services including x-rays, sealants, fluoride, polishing, and the fabrication of whitening trays and sports guards.
“We offer basic dental services that are meant to compliment [a person’s] existing dental care,” said Penner.
Services are administered by appointment only, and the clinic can assist up to 50 patients in a day.
Just what the doctor ordered
Some students do not know about SAIT’s Campus Health Services clinic.
For first-year instrumentation engineering technology students Adrienne Hillstead and Cassidy Macquarrie, it was their first time hearing of an on-campus health clinic at SAIT.
“It would be helpful if the on-campus clinic could renew prescriptions,” said Hillstead.
“It is difficult to see a doctor to do this that doesn’t charge for the visit because I’m from out-of-province.”
Sometimes trying to schedule appointments around classes and work can leave students struggling to make time for both.
Having a dental and health clinic on campus can be handy.
SAIT’s Campus Health Services clinic, also located in the Senator Burns building, offers a variety of health care services including pregnancy testing, physicals, pap smears, STI testing and treatment of minor illnesses.
Health Clinic Supervisor Rachelle Suing, has worked at the clinic since 2008 and said that the most popular services are flu shots, allergy shots and prescription renewals—which need to be done through an appointment with a doctor.
Students can also visit the clinic for concerns regarding their psychological well-being.
“One of our highest incidence of consults here at the clinic is mental health,” said Suing.
There are three physicians employed by the clinic who are available by appointment only.
The clinic also employs three registered nurses, and one is always on-site to handle walk-in appointments.
“Our walk-in business is very busy, we deal with a lot of cuts, burns and injuries from falls on campus,” said Suing.
Since July of this year the clinic has seen 2,221 people.
The clinic usually does not treat the general public, but it does treat students from ACAD.
There is no charge for any of the clinic’s services as long as a patient has a provincial health care card. Otherwise, there is a $55 consultation fee.
When mental and physical health needs are being addressed, it can be easier to focus on other things, such as school projects and deadlines.
Hot off the presses
A little-known resource that can assist with on-campus printing and design needs for any school project is XDOCS.
Located in the E.H. Crandell building, XDOCS offers a host of services such as printing, business cards, graphic design, bookbinding, lamination, scanning, and more.
Kaya Mitreska, the account operations manager at XDOCS, said that not many students take advantage of their services.
“Our walk-up business is not as busy,” said Mitreska.
Mitreska said that the cost for each service is specific to the job, but the prices are competitive and generally cheaper at XDOCS than elsewhere.
For example, pricing for printing starts at 3 cents per sheet, and you can get a document coil bound for less than $5.
To use the services at XDOCS, students can send in their document via email or they can visit the office with a USB drive or hard copy of what they need.
Come fly with me
With the semester well under way and assignments reaching their due dates, some students are looking forward to a break and have started planning their Christmas and reading week escapes.
Destinations, which is a student-run travel office located on the main floor of the Senator Burns building, books various types of travel arrangements for students and staff at SAIT.
“We do everything a regular travel agent would do, but our fees are lower,” said Stephanie Mercredi, travel and tourism instructor.
Mercredi said that Destinations charges a third of what a regular travel agent would charge.
Destinations does offer their services to the general public but they “do not promote off campus,” said Mercredi.
When asked if many students use the services offered at Destinations, Mercredi said that the customer traffic varies.
“[Currently] we are seeing about 10 to 15 people per week,” she said.
To meet with one of Destinations’ agents, simply pop in, as no appointment is necessary.