There's no doubt that facts spread rapidly at Harvard--about which classes are easy, or which clubs are cool--but horror stories about students and the care they receive at University Health Services (UHS) appear to travel at the speed of light.

It seems like everyone's heard a tale about a roommate struck with a horrible ailment, hurrying to UHS for help, only to be told that they were fine and nothing was wrong.

Regardless of how the stories spread, or how exaggerated they may be, UHS does not conjure up a positive image in most undergraduates' minds.

The recently released "Students Attitudes Toward Harvard University Health Services" survey, initiated by UHS and conducted by Axiom Research Company, reports that 47 percent of those surveyed would not recommend UHS.

Not only are students wary of UHS in general, but they have specific concerns as well.

Thirty-six percent of the dissatisfied respondents said misdiagnoses were the source of their unhappiness, while 42 percent said it was the delays they encountered while visiting UHS that troubled them. Thirty-five percent of all students surveyed rated the courtesy and respect shown by the UHS receptionists as "fair" or "poor."

Zach H. Smith '00 said the results of the survey "are not surprising."

Smith suffered a broken leg several years ago after being hit by a car on Memorial Drive. When seeking treatment at UHS that night, he said he was told he was fine, and was advised to return home and take Tylenol for the pain.

The next day, Smith returned to UHS, and a doctor treated Smith for the broken leg.