Walk in health clinics, or urgent care centers as they’re more commonly known, are becoming very popular in the United States. According to the Urgent Care Association of America, in the U.S. today there are about 9,000 urgent care clinics that see an average of 342 patients weekly. They are convenient, available to the public, and becoming increasingly more cost-effective and reputable with each passing day. Here are three scenarios in which finding a walk in health clinic will be your best medical option.

1.) College: Every college or university will have an infirmary of some kind. For the most part they are a glorified high school nurse office. Unfortunately, this does not always cut it. If you’re attending school far from home getting to your primary care physician after you’ve fallen ill or been hurt is almost impossible. Your best bet is to find the nearest urgent care clinic. Have a friend drive you if need be. The best part is 69% of these clinics have average wait times under 20 minutes.


2.) Vacation: Another situation where you could find yourself miles from home, and your personal doctor, is when you’re on vacation. Don’t let a little sickness spoil your time-off though. Find a walk in health clinic and walk out soon after. The faster you get a professional opinion, the faster you can get back to rest and relaxation.


3.) New City: When you move to a new place finding a new doctor is probably not the first thing on your to-do list. Don’t sweat it. Take the time to move-in and adjust to your new surroundings. If something unfortunate happens find an urgent care center to get you by until you establish a new health care provider.

These are just a couple situations where you may not have the necessary time to find a new doctor, but need medical attention. Sure, you could always just go to a hospital. But keep in mind urgent care costs are generally much less than an emergency room trip. On average you’ll spend more than $300 for the same diagnosis when you go there versus an urgent care clinic.