Getting sick. It’s the part of the college experience that comes with not getting enough sleep, skipping breakfast, drinking more than you should and being around every germ imaginable.

When it’s your turn, call the people at Watkins Memorial Health Center, 864-9500. They’re there to help.

The center is underwritten by student fees, so most services are free. To avoid long waits, it’s important that you call ahead for an appointment.

The center does charge for walk-in visits after 4:30 p.m.

“We have nine doctors and three nurse practitioners who specialize in all kinds of things, including sports medicine,” said Myra Strother, chief of staff at the health center.

Besides the customary doctor’s visits, the center operates a pharmacy and specialty clinics that emphasize sports medicine, physical therapy, allergies, immunizations for traveling abroad, gynecology and men’s health needs.

It also has an “urgent care clinic” that’s ready to handle all but the most dire of emergencies.

Each year, about three-fourths of the students at KU spend some time at Watkins, either on the phone or in person.

“We log about 75,000 patient visits a year,” said Carol Seager, the health center’s director.

Most common ailments include colds, flu bugs, allergies, sports injuries, and the stomach ache that comes with eating last month’s leftovers.

MYRA STROTHER, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, examines Kansas University junior Nichole Downing. The health center is open seven days a week.

And then there’s more serious stuff: depression, mononucleosis, substance abuse and the consequences of unsafe sex.

“One thing we’re starting to see more of is students being overweight,” Strother said.

That’s not surprising, considering today’s high-stress, fast-food, low-exercise lifestyles.

“Walking to class is not getting enough exercise,” Strother said. “To stay healthy you need to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.”

Strother said the health center has a dietitian on staff to help students overhaul their diets and, perhaps, avoid the dreaded “freshman 15” potential weight gain.

“It’s important to realize that a lot of students got more exercise in high school — being out for sports — than they do in college,” she said. “Plus, living at home, they probably had at least two good meals a day.

“But in college there’s a tendency to sleep in, skip breakfast and eat pizza late at night. Combine that with the empty calories that come with soft drinks and beer, and you’re setting yourself up for the ‘freshman 15.'”