Students are what Dr. Teri Hodges enjoys about her job at the University of Tennessee Student Health Services Clinic. She likes dealing with the younger population and feels she has the opportunity to affect sudents' health choices at this age. 

Hodges has practiced at the clinic for five years. She was previously in a private practice with her husband. Hodges graduated from UT with a major in biology and attended the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis, Tenn.

Hodges said that some of the biggest issues on the UT campus are problem drinking, diet and exercise issues and smoking.

"It's the consequences of habits you form now that give the problems laterIt's the consequences of habits you form now that give the problems later.Dr. Teri Hodges, UT Student Health Services Clinic," she said.

One improvement Hodges would like to make for health on campus is to have more helpful information on the health clinic Web site. She wants to provide students with more information and answers to questions on the site to promote healthy choices. However, the doctors at the UT health clinic don't have much time for this effort.

"We stay so busy that we don't get to do as much as we'd hoped," she said.

As a board certified member in internal medicine and infectious diseases, Hodges is an important member of the UT health clinic. She has worked with the administrative effort at UT to develop a pandemic flu response plan.

According to Hodges, influenza, or flu, season in our temperate climate runs from about October to March, fall to early spring. She said that the flu can be spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing and by surface contamination.

"We see a fair number of flu cases every year," Hodges said. She couldn't confirm an exact number of cases because most students don't get tested for the flu. Patients are only tested for the disease if they are showing early signs of it within the first 48 hours. After that there is no reason to test because medications won't help, Hodges said. She thinks an approximate number of cases would be about ten times the amount of people tested.

"Everybody is susceptible [to the flu] and that's why we push to get the vaccine.Dr. Teri Hodges, UT Student Health Services ClinicEverybody is susceptible [to the flu] and that's why we push to get the vaccine," Hodges said.

Hodges also said that the vaccine is very effective in preventing the flu, but not 100 percent effective. She said it takes about two weeks to build immunity to the flu after receiving the shot. If you are exposed during that time or a few days before, you can still contract the flu. Hodges cleared up a common misconception that causes some people not to get the shot.

"You can't get the flu from the flu shot," she said.

Hodges advised that a few other ways to avoid the flu are to wash your hands, keep your hands away from your face and stay away from other people who have the flu, called social distancing.

"Generally a healthier condition with eating right and exercising and getting enough sleep help," she said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention some symptoms of the flu are:

• high fever, usually over 100 degrees
• headache
• extreme tiredness
• dry cough 
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle aches
• stomach sypmtoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults.