Frequently Asked Questions

No. Students must call Student Health Services 703-993-2831 to talk with a nurse about symptoms, illness, or a health concern before coming to the clinic. The nurse will evaluate the concern and determine the appropriate level of care needed. These practices help reduce the risk of community spread of the coronavirus and help reduce the risk of exposing others, both patients and healthcare workers, to potential illness.

Students should call 703-993-2831 during operating hours to schedule an appointment or speak with a nurse.

Visit our Appointments webpage for details about your telehealth or in-person appointment.

Visit our Immunization Appointment webpage for details about your immunization (vaccination) appointment.

Students can call 703-993-2831 to schedule an appointment or talk with a nurse about symptoms, illness, or other concerns. The nurse will give advice or schedule an appointment as needed. Video telehealth appointments and in-person appointments are available.

After-hours, students can follow phone prompts to connect to the free nurse advice phone service.

If you are sick, stay home except when seeking medical care. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or are a close contact, call Student Health or your local healthcare provider for medical advice. Residential students must call Student Health.

No. All currently enrolled George Mason University students are eligible to be seen at Student Health Services whether they have insurance or not. There is no charge to be seen by a healthcare provider, there are fees for supplies, immunizations, lab work,  medications, and some procedures.

No. All currently enrolled Mason students are eligible to be seen at Student Health whether they have health insurance or not.

There is no charge to be seen by a healthcare provider at Student Health Services.

There are fees for supplies, vaccinations/immunizations, lab tests, medications, and some procedures or treatments. Common fees are listed on our website. Ask your provider about any costs.

No. Student Health Services does not provide medical excuse (doctor’s) notes for missed classes or missed work.

If needed, you can ask your healthcare provider for a Visit Verification Statement at the end of your appointment at Student Health Services which indicates the time and date of the appointment.

Student Health Services does not advise students about absence unless a contagious illness or a severe or longer-term medical condition justifies that recommendation.

The student and their professor (or supervisor) should communicate at the earliest opportunity to determine decisions about the impact of an absence, missed class/work, or deadlines.

We understand that sometimes you may need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Patients should contact Student Health to cancel or reschedule an appointment at least 4 hours prior to the appointment time.

There will be a No-Show fee assessed if a patient misses their appointment and/or does not cancel their appointment at least 4 hours prior to the appointment time.

To cancel an appointment

• Call Student Health at 703-993-2831 to cancel or reschedule during open hours.
• Email shsinfo@gmu.edu to cancel an appointment only.
  • Include your name, G#, and date/time of your appointment
  • Include the words ‘cancel appointment’ in the subject line
  • Do not put any additional information in the email

Student Health follows university closings. If George Mason University is closed, Student Health Services clinics and offices are closed as well for in-person appointments and services. If there is a power outage affecting a building where Student Health Services is located, we follow university guidance and may close during that time.

When possible, Student Health Services will be available by phone or for scheduled telehealth appointments during unexpected closures.

Some unexpected events, such as a wide-spread power outage, may impact our ability to provide phone or telehealth services. We will do our best to update our operating status on our website and contact patients regarding their telehealth appointment status.

Students who had appointments scheduled during an unexpected university closure can call to reschedule their appointment. Student Health Services will also try to contact you to reschedule your appointment.

Yes, we have board certified doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and other medical specialists who work together to help you.

Yes, your eligibility will end. Currently enrolled students are eligible for care. Patients may continue to receive health care from your provider at Student Health Services until the end of the month in which you graduate from George Mason University.

Congratulations on your accomplishment graduates!

1. Go to the Patient Portal at https://gmu.medicatconnect.com. Or, select ‘Patient Portal’ in our navigation menu.
2. You will be directed to the log in page. Select “George Mason University” as your organization from the dropdown menu.
3. Use your Mason Net ID (user ID) and patriot password to login.
4. Complete 2-factor authentication (2FA). Visit the Mason ITS website for info and instructions to set up 2FA.

You will receive an email to your Mason email informing you that you have a message in the online Patient Portal.

The message will state that you must log into the portal to access the message. The email message will be from: NoReply[at]medicat.com. If you have a question about the validity of the email, please contact Student Health.

You may need to check your junk/spam/other mail folder(s).

Once you log into the Patient Portal, select “Messages” from the portal navigation menu. Unopened messages have an envelope icon.

Telehealth is the use of audio and video technology to offer services to patients who are not in the same physical location as their provider.  These are scheduled appointments with a medical or behavioral health provider and are conducted via video conferencing or telephone.

To learn more, go to our Telehealth appointment webpage: https://shs.gmu.edu/services/appointments/types/.

Students can call 703-993-2831 to schedule an appointment or talk with a nurse about symptoms, illness, or other concerns. The nurse will give advice or schedule an appointment as needed. Video telehealth appointments and in-person appointments are available.

After-hours, students can follow phone prompts to connect to the free nurse advice phone service.

If you are sick, stay home except when seeking medical care. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or are a close contact, call Student Health or your local healthcare provider for medical advice. Residential students must call Student Health.

Yes, Student Health can test for COVID-19. Testing is by appointment only, call 703-993-2831. SHS provides rapid point-of-care and PCR testing. Visit our COVID-19 Services page for more information.

Plan ahead and have at-home tests available before you need them. You can purchase at-home COVID antigen tests from most local retail stores or online retailers –  such as grocery stores, pharmacies, CVS, Walgreens, WalMart, Target, Amazon, etc…

Students, faculty and staff with a valid Mason ID can get a free COVID at-home test at One Stop and Express convenience stores on the Fairfax Campus during their operating hours. Test kits are also available at the Student Health Services clinics during our operating hours.

If Student Health is closed, the following resources may help you find a laboratory testing location in Virginia. Check hours of operation and scheduling requirements.

• Virginia Department of Health
• Fairfax County
• Prince William County
• Arlington County

Contact your local primary care provider, urgent care, or health department for clinical testing locations near you.

Residential households in the U.S. can also visit covid.gov/tests to check eligibility for ordering free at-home tests.

Follow CDC guidelines and take preventive actions to reduce the spread of respiratory illness.

When you are sick, stay home or in your residence hall room and away from others (self-isolate) to keep illness from spreading.

You can go back to normal activities when both of the following are true for 24 hours:

• Your symptoms are getting better AND
• You have not had a fever (without using fever-reducing medication).

For the next 5 days, after you go back to normal activities, take added precautions. Continue to practice good hygiene. Other precautions when you are going to be around others indoors can include: wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose, physically distancing, taking steps to improve indoor airflow, and/or testing. These actions can help reduce the spread of illness.

Inform close contacts (such as roommates, friends, or family) if you tested positive so that they can take everyday precautions to reduce the spread of illness.

Call Student Health Services at 703-993-2831 to speak with a nurse or make an appointment with a healthcare provider if your symptoms are getting worse or if you have concerns about symptoms. You can also call if you have questions about test results. After-hours, follow prompts to reach the free nurse advice service.

On March 1, 2024 the CDC updated guidance to align COVID-19 prevention with guidelines for other respiratory illnesses.

You do not need to notify Student Health Services or the university about a positive test result.

Students can call Student Health Services (703-993-2831) if you have a concern about symptoms.

You should tell your close contacts if you tested positive so they can take preventive actions to reduce the spread of illness.

Review the Virginia Department of Health info on how to notify your close contacts (pdf).

If you have concerns about symptoms or exposure, you can call Student Health Services (703-993-2831) for advice at any time, just follow phone prompts to reach the free nurse advice service. If you are sick, self-isolate (stay home and away from others) and take everyday preventive actions to reduce the spread of illness.

Visit our COVID Services webpage for information on COVID testing.