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by: Andrea J. Stewart

Many 18- to 30-year-olds are skipping routine doctor visits.

“They don’t seek medical services because they feel well.  There’s no immediate payback,” Dr. Michael Fine said.  He added that many college students in this age group are far from home and don’t have a relationship with a doctor in their new area.

Ryan Johnson, an assistant manager at the Charles River Plaza CVS P harmacy, said CVS’s future installation of a MinuteClinic might get Boston’s student population to a doctor after all. 

“In general, people in our age bracket are lazy,” said the 24-year-old Johnson.  “College kids are from out of state.  They don’t want to find a doctor.  Here you’ve got it all in one place.”

Johnson said MinuteClinic will be “a doctor’s office on the go.” He said it will help with basic ailments, like ear infections and sore throats, and is good for people who can’t spend hours waiting at the emergency room.  Johnson said CVS is trying to put a MinuteClinic in a few stores in each district, and the CVS in Charles River Plaza is supposed to get one later this year.  Like a regular doctor’s office, the MinuteClinic will have a co-pay and be able to write prescriptions.

People interested in holistic wellness (incorporating body, mind and soul) have ample opportunity to consult with Boston health coach Christi Lehner-Collins.  She sees clients regularly at seminars, wellness programs and personal consultations.  Lehner-Collins also offers her busiest clients monthly Teleclasses, or hour-long conference calls via telephone. 

While Lehner-Collins said she thinks traditional medicine is fine in an emergency situation, she believes that 99 percent of illnesses can be prevented by balancing the food you eat with “primary food.”  That phrase, created by the Institute for Integrated Nutrition, means fulfilling aspects of life such as relationships, career, fitness and spirituality.  Her holistic health practice revolves around helping people balance both types of food.  

In between office visits (no matter whose office you choose), personal trainer Judith Bruen recommends really listening to the body to see how it feels.

“Pay attention to internal cues.  Listen to the body for hunger or signs of stress,” Bruen said.  She said this keen ear can curb stress eating and can help people understand the role food plays in their lives.