Health Care for Students

Matthew Boyer directs UW’s Student Health Service, a full-service medical clinic.

By Micaela Myers

When Dr. Matthew Boyer took on the director position Student Health Service last year, he wanted to provide more than basic health care to students.

“I want to be that person they can trust and know that I’m in their corner to look out for them,” he says. “My focus is on making sure the students get the care they need.”

Boyer knows how necessary a support system is for students. The oldest of his three children is a junior at UW, so he finds it especially important to be there for students who don’t have family nearby.

Born in Laramie, Boyer moved away in high school but visited family here often and was excited to take on the position of head team physician for UW athletics in 2015. He earned his medical degree from Oklahoma State University and completed a sports medicine fellowship at Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine at Virginia Tech. He continues to cover sports medicine in the clinic, attending to intramural and club sports players. But he wants students to know that Student Health Service isn’t like the school nurse — it’s a full-service clinic.

“We can see anything,” he says. The team addresses all the common wellness exams and illnesses. Student Health Service even offers a pharmacy and laboratory testing.

“This year, we started an official walk-in clinic,” Boyer says. “The clinic is staffed all day by a provider, so if students don’t want to wait for an appointment, they can come right in.”

He also wants students to know that his staff is nonjudgemental. “This is a safe place,” Boyer says. “Our job is to take care of you, no matter what it is. I know it can be hard to come in and talk about certain personal issues, but this is a safe and confidential place. It’s just between you and your provider.”

Boyer jumped at the opportunity to continue working with the student population in the director role and loves the Wyoming lifestyle, especially the great outdoors. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, four-wheeling and other hobbies that take advantage of the state’s incredible geography.