Camosun College Student Society sponsored content
Last month, the myvirtualdoctor service available to Camosun College students moved telemedicine platforms from Telus Health to Dialogue. But students can still access the service, and it’s even got some upgrades.
Now featuring next-day follow-up, international student health care navigation support, and access to wellness resources, myvirtualdoctor is an extremely useful tool at a time when more and more BC residents don’t have a family doctor. Or maybe you have a family doctor but the wait is too long? Wait no more.
myvirtualdoctor is a virtual health care service that provides unlimited access 24 hours a day, seven days a week to licenced health experts such as doctors and nurse practitioners. The service is provided by the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS).
You can access myvirtualdoctor through the Dialogue Health app—available for Android and iOS devices—or any browser. Eligible students will get an email with an activation link from Dialogue in the email you provided to the college (check your spam folder!); if you don’t get one, you can register using the email you use for myCamosun at mystudentplan.ca/camosun/en/myvirtualdoctor.
It’s not just you who can access myvirtualdoctor: if you have eligible dependents, they can also access the services. Eligible dependents include a spouse and children.
“This virtual health service remains a great alternative for those students without family doctors,” says CCSS executive director Michel Turcotte. “CCSS members used the previous Telus service so much that it contributed to wait times and delays, fortunately Dialogue has greater experience in the student environment and should have greater capacity to meet the needs of our plan members.”
The service include access to health care professionals in 30 different languages through chat, video call, or a phone call. Some of what is provided through myvirtualdoctor includes diagnosis, labs, imaging, and referrals; prescription delivery; specialist appointments; and safe and secure transfer of medical records to primary care physicians.
“myvirtualdoctor is invaluable for students without a family doctor,” says CCSS health & wellness officer Kyle Jones. “Even for students who already have a family doctor, this service has tremendous value. With myvirtualdoctor, students have access to medical care without making an appointment, day and night.”
As long as you’re a fee-paying member of the CCSS, you’ll be automatically enrolled in myvirtualdoctor and assessed the applicable fee—$35 a year, including eligible dependents—to your student account. Note that students in partnership programs, including Canadian Forces and high-school contracts, are not eligible.
If you have a family doctor, you can still use the app! However, if you want to opt out, you need to submit an online application, available through camosunstudent.org. The deadline to apply is 30 days from the official date of starting your program, and no exceptions are made if this deadline is missed. It’s the student’s responsibility to pay the plan fees if they miss the opt-out deadline.
If you opt-out you aren’t able to re-enroll in myvirtualdoctor until your enrolment anniversary. To keep the waiver active, you need to submit an opt-out application each year or when you see the fee included in your tuition.
For any questions about opting out, drop by the CCSS Benefits Plan offices in Fisher and Campus Centre or email ccssplan@camosun.ca.
See camosunstudent.org and navigate to “health” or go to mystudentplan.ca/camosun/en/myvirtualdoctor to learn more about myvirtualdoctor.