Medical school is no easy feat. There is so much to learn, long hours of lectures and studying, as well as outside stressors that can impact students. It can be overwhelming at times. The stress and adjustment of medical school can be a catalyst for the onset of anxiety or depressive symptoms and/or feelings of psychological burnout. Old self-care methods and the support of friends and family might not suffice, and often students need additional, unbiased support. Counseling & Wellness Services (CWS) at the Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona is available to provide this support. Some students come to CWS to learn effective ways of coping with the demands of life and medical school, striving for greater balance and wellness in their lives. Others seek counseling to deal with broader life and relationship issues. Whatever the focus, students are encouraged to seek the support they need to be successful.
Counseling and Wellness Services Main Page
Counseling is available for medical students through Counseling & Wellness Services (CWS) at the Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona which is located in the medical education building, Suite 416. At CWS, counseling services are free to all currently enrolled students. Services are also confidential (except for a few specific legal exceptions) and counseling records are entirely separate from academic records. For more information, please visit Counseling and Wellness Services.
Although Counseling and Wellness Services at UCF COM is separate from main campus Counseling & Psychological Services, as enrolled UCF students you may use main campus services as well if you prefer, including use of their after-hours crisis hotline. For information on the counseling center located on the UCF main campus, please log on to caps.sdes.ucf.edu.
UCF Student Health Services Behavioral Health Care
Limited psychiatric care is available at the UCF Health Center and provided by Board Certified Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. Depending on the severity and complexity of the diagnosis, psychiatrists may provide psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. Referral to community psychiatrists can be facilitated on an as-needed basis. A referral is required prior to scheduling with a Health Center psychiatrist. This referral may be obtained from a previous medical or mental health provider, from one of our primary care providers, the UCF Counseling Center, or Drs. Daly and Siddiqui, Heather Rashal or Kristina Grabnickas at UCF COM.
Please have your previous psychiatric records sent to the UCF Health Center prior to your initial appointment. Some conditions, including ADD/ADHD, require that comprehensive psychoeducational/neuropsychological testing be completed within the previous 3 years prior to the initiation of stimulant medication per UCF Student Health Services policy. UCF Health Center staff can assist students with scheduling an appointment with community providers to obtain this testing, if necessary.
For complete specialty care information from Student Health, please visit their webpage.
Additional Psychiatric Services
In addition to our on site Counseling Services, Dr. Andrew Kleiman, Dr. Brady Bradshaw and Dr. John Blankemeier* are available to provide psychiatric services. Both physicians maintain private practices in Winter Park.
*Please note that as of 5/17/22, Dr. Blankemeier is not currently accepting new patients but is continuing to schedule established patients.
To schedule with Dr. Andrew Kleiman, call (407) 339-3338 (located in Winter Park).
To schedule with Dr. Brady Bradshaw, call (321) 422-0145 (located in Baldwin Park).
For established patients to schedule with Dr. John Blankemeier, call (407) 629-6440 (located in Winter Park).
*Please note unlike the counseling services provided at COM that are covered by your student fees, Psychiatric services through Student Health Services, Dr. Blankemeier, DR. Bradshaw or Dr. Kleiman require a reduced payment fee per appointment.
We understand that emergencies and crises do not always happen during regular business hours. In fact, students often struggle with issues such as anxiety, depression, family or relationship difficulties, academic pressures, concerns about friends and roommates, or worries about the future.
If you or a friend is experiencing distress and needs someone to talk with in the middle of the night or on the weekend, they can call the main campus Counseling Center’s number (407) 823-2811, press #5 and they will be immediately connected to a licensed therapist.
Common reasons students call:
- you’re trying to get some perspective on a difficult situation or someone you know is thinking about suicide
- you’re worried or confused about a friendship, relationship, or family situation
- you’re feeling lonely, depressed, or discouraged
- you’re in therapy or waiting to see a therapist, but need to talk with someone now
- you’re an international student having difficulty adjusting to life in the United States
- you’re having a hard time making decisions, concentrating, or studying
- you want help with an immediate personal crisis
Counseling services are available for currently enrolled College of Medicine M.D. students who are rotating at Bay Pines. Students may utilize University of South Florida (USF) Counseling Center facilities for mental health appointments and are encouraged to review USF’s website – https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/student-life/wellness/psychological-services/index.aspx for more information.
Students who desire access to mental health services will speak with one of USF’s Counseling Center clinicians first (at (813) 974-2831), who will do a phone triage to determine if the student’s concern fits within the brief therapy model of the center, or if the concerns are beyond the scope of the USF Counseling Center treatment model.
If the concerns are outside of the scope of the brief therapy model, then the USF Counseling Center would make recommendations for appropriate services in the St. Petersburg/Tampa community.
Counseling and health services are also accessible for students rotating through the St. Augustine Flagler Hospital location. Below are the services available and contact information:
- Psychological Services of St. Augustine, (904) 824-7733
- Flagler Family Medicine, (904) 819-4814
- Healing Arts Urgent Care, (904) 823-3401
Mental Health Services:
- Local Counseling Resources (for questions, contact Ritzy Ettinger at (352) 392-1575)
Emergency Mental Health Services: 352-392-1575, ask to speak with the on-call clinician. The on-call counselor will evaluate and connect students to appropriate resources. This service is available 24/7. Alachua County Crisis Center also provides emergency resources.
Mental Health Services:
- Damian McGovern (Psychiatry): 239-624-1660
- Dana Castro (Psychiatry): 239-430-2001
- Terrence Kimper (Psychologist): 239-398-0009
- Mary Ellen Frazier (Psychologist): 230-643-9889
- Stephen Smith (Psychologist): 239-262-1721
Emergency Mental Health Services: 239-455-8500 or walk in to 6075 Bathey Road Naples, FL
Crisis Hotline
Call 407-823-2811 and dial 5 to speak to an after-hours phone counselor. If you have an immediate emergency, call 911.
For additional emergency services please visit the Counseling and Psychological services Emergency Services page by using the button below.