…what’s going to help push a student to a particular school. Had a fascinating discussion yesterday with a parent of an admitted prospective freshman… to summarize, her daughter has a severe peanut allergy — as do I — and she had an attack from eating in the cafeteria on campus when she visited one of her schools recently.
This, in and of itself, wasn’t the problem… those of us with food allergies are painfully aware of the dangers of eating unknown food, and although she was being careful, you can’t always tell what’s in certain foods. But the problem began when the college safety officer refused to transport her to the nearest hospital, which was, according to the mom, “several miles away.”
I have an epi pen in my desk at all times, and I bring one with me on the road. Thankfully, I’ve never had to use one, but I know that it’s not a panacea; you still need medical attention. Eventually, the student got the attention she needed, and she’s fine; but it brought to light a very serious concern for her and her parents, and she called us to ensure that we had the proper facilities and services to handle emergency medical situations. (Obviously, having the largest teaching hospital in Suffolk County right on campus is a nice perk, and you can call “911” from any phone on campus and be immediately connected with a service professional, 24 hours a day. Here’s a link to SBVAC, our Stony Brook ambulance corps.)
Students apply to a lot of schools that fit their needs, academically and socially. But you never know when “medically” gets added to that list of reasons as well!