Health Center
Student Health Center
All USD students have access to Student Health Center services, regardless of insurance status. This on-campus clinic (located in Maher Hall 140) offers basic health care services in a convenient on-campus location, including:
- basic treatment by doctor or nurse
- referrals to off-campus specialists for further care
- immunization clearance
- limited Prescription drug dispersal
Please note
Students with the USD Student Health Insurance Plan can save time and money by always visiting the Health Center first. If the Health Center generates a referral to an off-campus clinic, these students will not be subject to the insurance deductible (portion student must pay before insurance pays).
Mental Health Resources
USD Counseling Center
Located right above the International Center, the USD Counseling Center offers free confidential mental services to all USD students. Services include:
- individual and group counseling
- psychological/psychiatric consultation
- community mental health referrals
- support/advising for students with disabilities
Emergency Services
Counselor-on call
A counselor-on call is available to consult about after-hours psychological emergencies at all times. The counselor-on-call can be reached by calling Public Safety (x2222 on any campus telephone, otherwise call 619-260-2222).
24-hour San Diego Access & Crisis Line
The 24-hour San Diego Access and Crisis Line (1-888-724-7240) also offers crisis intervention, information and referrals.
LGBTQ+ Resources
LGBTQ+ at USD is a community of students, staff, administrators, faculty and alumni who identify as and/or advocate for all persons regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression. We are committed to support, education and scholarship for and about the LGBTQ+ and Allies community.
Recreation & Wellness
Cultural Adjustment
When you left home to study in the United States, you were beginning a new life. The new life involves the adjustment to a new culture and a new environment. This process takes time and the understanding of your feelings while going through the adaptation process.
People that enter a new culture will suffer from a feeling of disorientation. The cultural differences that must be dealt with, and the inability to understand them, cause an increased sense of great insecurity. The effect of these feelings is called "culture shock."
Knowing the causes of culture shock and the process of cross-cultural adjustment can help you understand that it is a normal reaction that ends sooner or later. There are three basic causal explanations and all three can occur in adjusting to any new social environment.
Cues are signposts, which guide us through our daily activities in an acceptable way that is consistent with the total social environment. These may include what to say when meeting with people for the first time, when and how to shake hands, how to eat, and so on.
Communication involves both verbal and nonverbal messages that vary with each culture. Verbal communication involves the sending and receiving of messages orally. This includes direct vs. indirect forms of speech, taking turns, preferred topics, and so on. Non-verbal communication involves facial expressions, how people use personal space, physical contact while speaking to another, etc.
Non-verbal communication involves facial expressions, how people use personal space, physical contact while speaking to another, etc.
When we enter a new culture, the way we learned to do things no longer works effectively. The environment makes new demands and we don't know how to react and how to solve problems. We feel overwhelmed and can no longer cope. This is the time in which we expand our cultural program and another more expanded and adequate system is born.
Strategies for Success
Coping With Cross-Cultural Adjustment Stress
By understanding the process of adjustment, we can anticipate stress and this, in and of itself, helps minimize the severity of our reactions. It helps to increase the communication with the host nationals, to learn the verbal and nonverbal language in the context of the culture, to develop a friendship with a host national and to associate with those who have gone through culture shock.
Prioritizing Mental Health & Wellness
Be Well USD
Be Well USD is a caring and inclusive space for students, faculty, staff and families who are committed to the health and wellness of the USD community. You can find information and resources about life skills, mental health and suicide prevention on this website.