Make an Appointment

Appointment Types

Getting started

Will this be your first appointment at MIT Medical? Maybe you need a routine checkup or a shot? Perhaps you need to get a prescription, or you have a health concern you want to discuss? It’s pretty simple to make an appointment:

• If you’ve already chosen a primary care provider (PCP), just call your PCP’s office directly, and explain what you need.
• If you don’t have a PCP yet, call 617-253-4481. Tell us as much as you can about why you are making the appointment. That way, we can schedule enough time for you with the right clinician.

Try to arrive 10–15 minutes early for your first appointment. This will give you time to fill out any health history forms and make sure your contact information is up to date.

Routine checkup

Your routine checkup (or physical exam) will be with your primary care provider (PCP). If you don’t have a PCP, you’ll need to select one before making your appointment (and remember, you can change your PCP at any time for any reason). Here’s what you need to know:

• Plan ahead. Appointments for routine checkups need to be made ahead of time. If you are sick or hurt, we will see you right away, but routine checkups are scheduled weeks, and sometimes months, in advance.
• Call your PCP’s office directly to make the appointment. Or if you have an active  HealthELife account, you can request an appointment online.
• If you’re a student or an affiliate, routine checkups are covered only under the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan or the MIT Affiliate Extended Insurance Plan.

If you are sick or injured (sick visit)

Call us at 617-253-4481 day or night to speak to us. Describe your symptoms in detail, so we can give you advice about what to do next. We have same-day appointments for people who are sick or hurt, and our walk-in Urgent Care Service is available without an appointment.

Urgent Care is located on the first floor of E23 (25 Carleton St., Cambridge), and free parking is available in the Hayward Street parking area. Walk-in hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day of the year, including weekends and holidays. If you come into Urgent Care when they are very busy, you may need to wait to be seen. People who are seriously injured or very ill get top priority, which means that people who arrive after you might be seen before you.

Mental Health and Counseling

Call Mental Health and Counseling at 617-253-2916 during regular weekday hours. If this will be your first appointment, we’ll start by scheduling a phone conversation with one of our clinicians to briefly discuss your concerns. Then we’ll make an appointment for you with a clinician who is appropriate for your needs.

Students only may use our online appointment request form.

Vaccinations

You can get most routine vaccinations at MIT Medical. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may have a copay or receive a bill when you get a vaccination. To make an appointment for a vaccination, call your PCP’s office directly, or dial 617-253-4481 to schedule your visit.

NOTE: All students, employees, affiliates, retirees, and family members with PCPs at MIT Medical are eligible to receive a flu vaccination at our annual walk-in flu clinics on campus and at MIT Medical/Lexington.

Travel Clinic

To schedule an appointment, call 617-253-4488 and request a travel appointment. You can also request an appointment using our online form.

Try to schedule your appointment eight weeks prior to your trip. Advance planning is crucial, because some vaccines may take up to a month to become fully effective, and others may require a series of injections.

Depending on your insurance coverage, you may have a copay or other charges associated with your travel appointment.

Eye Care

To schedule an appointment, call 617-253-4351. Eye appointments are scheduled several weeks in advance. For urgent eye issues, call us 24 hours a day at 617-253-4481.

The Eye Service is open to all MIT students and all employees and their family members who are covered by an MIT-sponsored health plan—either the MIT Traditional Health Plan or the MIT Choice Plan. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may have a copay or other charges associated with your appointment in the Eye Service.

MIT Optical, our full-service walk-in optical store that specializes in eyewear and frame repairs, is available to the entire MIT community. No appointment is necessary.

Mammograms

To schedule your mammogram, call 617-253-4905. Mammograms are available to all members of the MIT community who are insured by an MIT-sponsored insurance plan. No copay or referral is necessary. Even if you have a PCP elsewhere, you can have your mammogram at MIT Medical, and we’ll make sure your provider gets the results. Simply call to make an appointment.

Other medical specialties, including radiology

If your PCP has given you a referral, or if no referral is required, call the service directly to schedule your appointment. Eligibility, referral requirements, and insurance coverage may vary depending on the service. 

Sick notes

MIT Medical does not provide notes or excuses for classes, academic work, or exams impacted by medical issues. If you have an injury or illness that has impacted your studies, please contact:

• Undergraduate Students: Student Support Services, 617-253-4861
• Graduate Students: Office of the Dean for Graduate Education, 617-253-4860

If we are contacted by Student Support Services or the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education, MIT Medical can confirm that your medical excuse is legitimate, but we will not share any specific medical information without your permission. Student Support Services or the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education can help you communicate with your professors, instructors, teaching assistants, or academic departments.

Referrals

A referral is a formal request from an MIT provider asking the MIT Health Plans Office to approve services outside of MIT Medical. Your provider will tell you that he or she is submitting a referral request for you to receive services outside of MIT Medical. Your clinician may refer you to a specific outside clinician or facility, or you may need to work with MIT Medical’s Referral Office to identify an appropriate in-network provider and make your first appointment. Depending on the appointment, MIT Medical’s Referral Office may schedule your appointment for you.

For more information about referrals, read our Referral FAQ or contact the Referral Office directly at medreferrals@mit.edu or 617-253-0170.

Dental

You may schedule routine dental visits by calling 617-253-1501.

For dental emergencies, call 617-253-4481, and we will tell you what to do next. Our dentists are on call to provide advice after hours and on weekends. For an emergency, you will be referred to the Massachusetts General Hospital emergency room or seen as soon as possible, usually the next day. Most hospital emergency rooms do not treat dental problems such as a chipped tooth, pain, a lost crown, broken denture, or lost filling.

MIT Medical’s Dental Service is available to the whole MIT community. Call 617-253-1501 to find out if MIT Dental accepts your dental insurance. If not, you may need to pay for services and submit a claim to your insurance company after your appointment.

I’m not sure what kind of appointment I need…

Just call us at 617-253-4481. We will direct you to the appropriate service to get the care you need. We have triage nurses are available by phone 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including weekends and holidays.