Health & Wellness

The Rome Center offers free-of-charge on-campus consultation with an English-speaking Nurse during regularly scheduled office hours twice per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. The hours will be advertised during Orientation and posted throughout the campus.  

The nurse may examine students and/or recommend follow-up attention at private or state facilities in the area. The nurse closely collaborates with an English-speaking Doctor who can prescribe medication and will also come to the JFRC Campus to visit you. The Doctor’s services, however, will have to be paid through your CISI Policy and this means that you will be responsible for the first 100,00 Euro (deductible) part of the cost of all the visits which are part of a single “occurrence” (i.e., a single health episode).   

We strongly recommend that you and your family familiarize yourself with the CISI Policy which will cover you for health care costs while in Rome.   

Students who take regular prescriptions, for both physical or mental health, should talk with their doctor before traveling to Rome and, if possible, arrive in Italy with enough medication to last the whole time while abroad. This is also true for contact lenses, over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines, and vitamins. American prescriptions are not honored here. You will also be asked to pay the full market price and then you must file independently with your insurance for refund.   

It is of paramount importance to ask your primary physician and/or Psychiatrist to write a letter indicating your diagnosis, medication prescribed (including doses) and the length of time for which the medication is indicated. This will allow you to arrange refill prescriptions more easily. On many occasions, our Campus Doctor will be able to write out refill prescriptions IF this letter is presented to him.  

All student rooms are equipped with refrigerators in which medicines that need to be kept cold can be stored. If special security is required to store your medication, please do contact the Student Life Team to work out storage details. The infirmary does not provide medication. Medication can be obtained easily at a local pharmacy.   

Please be aware that it is illegal to have medication mailed to a student in Italy and it will be stopped at customs.   

IMPORTANT NOTE ON ADD & ADHD MEDICATION: 

Adderal is NOT available in Italy. However, there are some similar, yet not identical, medications that can be prescribed.  

It is highly unlikely that any Physician will prescribe you enough ADHD medication for your stay in Rome. However, please be aware that the prescription of this kind of medication is complex in Italy because it requires a specially certified Psychiatrist. Therefore, we ask you to come and meet the Campus Psychotherapist during the first couple of weeks in Rome to discuss arrangements for a follow-up psychiatric visit for a medication refill.

Delays in arranging such follow-ups will result in running out of medication that may be essential to you and may well create distress and contribute to significant crisis. Studying abroad will also mean that you may be in charge, for the first time, of coordinating your self-care – physical and emotional. Please take this task seriously and use the support we offer efficiently. 

The JFRC strives to provide an environment where the whole person can develop and grow in meaningful ways. Therefore, it offers many possibilities for personal development. Faculty and staff are sensitive to students’ needs whilst in Rome and are available to help students adjust to the new setting and during any emotionally upsetting moments.   

The Rome Center also offers professional mental health support.   

A part-time mental health worker (trained in both Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy) is present on Campus four days per week. Her office hours and contact details will be provided during Orientation and will be signposted on Campus.  

Free of charge psychological therapy on Campus is accessible on a twice per month basis whilst in Rome. An initial assessment of your needs will be the first step to decide what support you may need. However, if you are seeing a therapist every week in the USA and would like to continue with this frequency whilst in Rome, this will not be possible on Campus. Therefore, we shall help you connect with an English-speaking therapist in Rome. Your CISI Policy will reimburse you for this cost but you will need to pay for your sessions upfront.  

As per other medical consultations, many health care professionals do not accept overseas payments from insurance companies and students will be asked to pay up front. However, all health workers consulted will provide students with receipts/invoices in order to obtain reimbursement by CISI.  

At the JFRC we endeavor to offer opportunities for self-care of the mind, body and spirit and we have developed a program called “TAKE CARE! Movi-Mente”.   

As part of this program, we shall offer the following: opportunities to reflect on your experience of cross-cultural adjustment whilst in Italy though group discussions and film viewing evenings, opportunities to move your body by attending bi-weekly aerobic classes with a professional trainer, weekly yoga classes, and team sport opportunities. Also, opportunities to take care of your spirit by joining a spiritual study group. Please note that this program is being developed since the JFRC re-opened after the pandemic and we shall welcome your input and suggestions to develop and add meaningful opportunities to take care of yourself as a whole person whilst studying abroad.    

The JFRC has a beautiful basketball court and a small palestra – gym. These outdoor and indoor spaces ensure students can stay physically active while studying at the John Felice Rome Center.      

Medical History Report    

Students must complete the Health Self-Evaluation Report included in the pre-departure documents online. Effective study, especially in a foreign environment, requires good health, both physical and mental. In some cases, mild disorders can become serious under the stresses of life abroad.   

• Failure to submit a completed Health Self-Evaluation Report online, or failure to give accurate health data on the Health Self-Evaluation Report could compromise your admission process from the program.