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Appleton reacts to health surveys

Doctor says they are misreprentative of students

by Catherine Tarpley

College Physician Dr. Judith Appleton said she believes that the Student Senate student health survey results reflect the views of a "vocal minority on campus."

Twenty-three percent of the respondents to those surveys, which the Senate gave last semester, ranked Appleton a "1," the lowest possible score on a scale of 1 to 5.

She said those results do not correlate with her data. Appleton has sent out her own exit surveys. She said she believed the results of her surveys were "very favorable," and that they reflected how patients felt immediately upon leaving her office.

Appleton would not comment further on her surveys.

Appleton said that some students have told her directly of their dissatisfaction. But she said that hasn't happened often, nor recently.

Appleton said she still has not seen the surveys. She does not know why she has not seen them, nor does she know of anyone who has seen them. President Nancy Dye and Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole have not seen the surveys, though a member of the Senate assured Cole she would receive them soon.

Appleton said that Cole told her several months ago that a student health survey was being given. Appleton said she had forgotten who was conducting that survey, but that it was probably the one given by the Senate.

In a written statement, Appleton said that she also believed some of the negative comments made about her in the surveys stemmed from rumors. She said she believed student health was the "final repository" of dissatisfaction with the Oberlin Clinic and Allen Memorial Hospital, as well as with student health.

Appleton also said that surveys of health care throughout the U.S. often reflect a dissatisfaction rate of 20 percent among patients. The Oberlin student health surveys, which overwhelmingly showed dissatisfaction with student health, were answered by only 15-20 percent of Oberlin students.


Oberlin

Copyright © 1996, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 124, Number 16; March 1, 1996

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