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JillGrimesMD | The College Doc

@jillgrimesmd

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🎓The College Doc
🩺 Family Physician ❤️Mom📚Author🎙️Speaker
📖Medical INFO (not personal medical advice)
📲TikTok.CollegeDoc
#parentingteens

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‼️Every severe winter storm brings tragedy - please share this to help remind the teens & young adults in your life why it’s so important to:

✅ Walk with at least one friend
✅ Layer up- wear the BIG coat (even if it’s not cute!)
✅ Wait inside till your UBER pulls up
✅ Get help EARLY- don’t hesitate!

#hypothermia #winterstorm #alcoholawareness #drinkablanket #parentingteens by @jillgrimesmd

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9 months ago

Hello & WELCOME! Let me (re)introduce myself:

🩺 I’m Jill Grimes, MD, a board-certified Family Medicine Physician & college health expert! #aafp

👍🏻 I’m a Texas Aggie, Class of ‘87 WHOOP! I LOVE the energy that pulses through ALL college campuses, & visit universities across the USA. My “Find It Friday” posts feature a different school each week.

⚕️My (MD) medical degree is from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. After finishing my family medicine residency training in Austin, TX, I enjoyed private practice for 20+ years, then switched to college health!

🎓 I love teaching my peers at national conferences as well as my patients, friends & community on social media, radio & television.

📚 I’m an experienced medical editor & award-winning author, & my passion project is The ULTIMATE College Stident Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness.

🤔 I’m here to share the medical tips young adults REALLY need to know, cutting through any “fake news” in medicine (including any weird or dangerous social media challenges) & doing my best to offer evidence-based answers without political bias.

🏆 Pro tip: medicine will ALWAYS be shades of grey, not black & white, because our advice evolves (as it should) with new data & research.

😍 I have been happily married to the best husband on the planet for 28 years (he’s “Mr/Dr Grimes”, an anesthesiologist) & we are so proud of our daughters- one with a shiny new Doctorate in Occupational Therapy & the other with a degree in Animation!

💫 I love looking for the MAGIC in life- from fantasy books ⚡️to my beloved Disney, & if you can set that magic to music & put it on BROADWAY, well, then…you had me at hello!

☺️ A huge THANK YOU for joining me here! Please let me know what you’d like to learn & I would so appreciate you sharing any posts that you think may help your friends!

#youvegotafriendinme #collegehealth
#collegedoc #somedocs #medicaltips #healthprevention
#parentingteens #collegestruggle #parentingteenagers #collegebound #healthtipsoftheday #collegelifeproblems #emptynest #emptynesters #doctorsofinstagram #healthtip #tiptuesday #youhadmeathello #wellness #health by @jillgrimesmd

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4 years ago

🚨 Drug overdose/poisoning deaths came down nearly 24% in 2024- Thank you, Narcan OTC & thank you DEA Agents working hard to reduce the flow of drugs into the US. Sadly, however, there were still ~ 87,000 deaths (down from 114,000 the previous 12 months)- so it is not time to relax.

🚑 Fentanyl poisoning is now the number one cause of deaths in young adults & everyone needs to assume that ANY pill or powder they are offered (outside of a prescription from a licensed pharmacy) may be laced with fentanyl-and #onepillcankill

‼️ Half of the pills the DEA seized in the last year that contained fentanyl had enough fentanyl to be potentially fatal (>2mg)

🚨 It’s CRITICAL that our college students on Spring Break have immediate access to Narcan OTC spray & feel confident that they know how to use it- PLEASE take 90 seconds to watch this video & share it with your loved ones

👀 Even DEA Agents cannot tell by looking if a street pill is real or fake- the fake ones have the same imprints as legally produced medicines

👍🏼 Narcan is available without any prescription for roughly $44 for a package of 2 single dose sprays-just ask the pharmacist because most are kept behind the counter to reduce shoplifting

🚑 ALWAYS call 911 if you administer Narcan- often the relief is temporary & the victim may need a second dose and/or additional life support

💔So many of these fentanyl deaths are from young people who thought they were taking a single prescription pill to help them escape or relax (Xanax) or study (Adderal) but instead they stopped breathing & DIED from fentanyl poisoning

🙏🏻 Please watch, learn & share this information

#parentingteens #parentsofteens #collegehealth #parentingcollegekids #parentsofcollegestudents #collegehealthtips #fentanylawareness #narcan #narcansaveslives #howtousenarcan #onepillcankill #springbreakers #springbreak2025 by @jillgrimesmd

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2 years ago

😫 “I have to pull an all-nighter.”

🤷🏽‍♀️ Sometimes true. Often… not

⁉️ With midterms going on, stop & ask yourself this instead:

👉 Are you finishing something due tomorrow —or needing to perform (on an exam or giving a presentation) tomorrow?

➡️ If it’s a paper, staying up to get it done by the deadline might be the necessary choice

➡️ If it’s a quiz or an exam or speaking/presenting a project, sleep is what actually improves your grade

😴 Because sleep:
✔ Locks in memory
✔ Helps you learn new information
✔ Sharpens problem-solving
And skipping it?
👉 Can significantly reduce your ability to learn—by as much as ~40% in some studies

‼️Midterms reality check:

🕚 More hours ≠ better performance

❤️Sometimes the smartest move is closing your laptop

📌Save this for later & send it to a friend who’s debating an all-nighter

🚫 “All-nighters” are NOT an obligatory rite of passage in college- the best choice is optimizing your time management to AVOID needing them all together! Utilize your university’s academic success resources to learn new techniques (especially if you have ADHD time blindness that makes deadlines extra challenging)

#freshmanadvice #midterms #studytips #collegeproblems #parentingteens taken in Washington, DC by @jillgrimesmd

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3 days ago

🥂is alcohol a truth serum? Are drunk people simply saying what they REALLY mean? This time of year brings lots of hurt feelings after all day tailgates produce overly intoxicated friends blurting out impulsive, drunken thoughts

😱 With intoxication comes lack of judgement & heightened emotions, causing impulsive comments that are often based in jealousy or insecurity

⚠️ Is there truth in these drunk confessions or accusations? Possibly, but these are most often insecurities that a sober brain would override, where we can more clearly feel conflicting thoughts and successfully assess & prioritize them

🚨Consistent rude behavior or language from someone every time they drink is a huge red flag not to be ignored!

🤷‍♀️ But a single passionate blurt out? Talk it out (sober) & let it go - like the kid who blurts out he hates his parent when he didn’t get his way. It felt “true” in the moment, but it was really just a fleeting hurt or disappointment

💔 I’ve definitely seen single #drunkconfessions destroy friendships, and the key is clear and open communication #alcoholproblems (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/alcoholproblems/) #collegelife (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/collegelife/) #parentingteens by @jillgrimesmd

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4 days ago

😳 MIDTERMS are HERE! College Students- if you freaking out because you just can’t seem to learn a new concept (or can’t seem to make new facts stick in your memory), this one’s for you

🧠 TRY THIS! The “Study Sleep Sandwich” uses scientific learning techniques & can make a huge difference, especially when you feel stuck (& finals are rapidly approaching) Here’s what to do:

🧑‍💻 Review the new material (your prof’s slides, your notes, or a YouTube tutorial) right before you go to sleep

😴 Let your brain digest it while you sleep

☀️ Review it again first thing when you wake up

🍀 You’ve got this- Good luck on Midterms!

🙏🏻 Please share with your favorite college students

#freshmanadvice #midterms #studytip #parentingteens #collegeproblems by @jillgrimesmd

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6 days ago

‼️Hoya Saxa!! I’m heading back to Georgetown University @georgetownuniversity for Family Weekend this Friday, October 16th!

🎓College brings amazing opportunities & also so many real-life curveballs

❤️ From mental heath & test anxiety, to social stressors, alcohol, & party culture, to navigating healthcare without a parent, I love teaching college students practical, evidence-based advice they can use- without any judgment or finger-pointing

👍🏼 Parents- You’ll learn helpful insights into how to best support your college student while giving them room to grow & exercise independence

🫶 Come for the conversation & leave with practical takeaways… & please, bring all your questions!

📍1:30-3pm in the Leavey Program Room in the Thomas & Dorothy Leavey Center (by the bookstore)

🙏🏼 Please share with the Hoya Family!

#collegehealth #georgetownuniversity #gufamilyweekend #parentingcollegekids #hottopics taken in Georgetown University by @jillgrimesmd

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7 days ago

😓Many college students end up binge drinking on football weekends & then find that they really struggle with mood, motivation & concentration for the next several days

😫Hangover Anxiety (“HANGXIETY”) is nothing new! It’s known by many names- the “saddies”, Booze Blues, Hangover Blues, Drinking Depression, etc.

🤔Recognizing all the physical responses to alcohol can help you treat & improve some of the symptoms, though obviously the best “cure” is prevention by not over-drinking in the first place.

🍻Alcohol starts with a happy buzz from high levels of “happy” neurotransmitters dopamine & serotonin but ends up leaving a relative deficit the next day which contributes to a depressed mood.

🥱Meanwhile, alcohol makes you sleepy but disrupts the quality of your sleep, so now your sleep-deprived brain is making you anxious.

😫Alcohol induced dehydration/racing pulse, stomach irritation/nausea, low blood sugar shakiness/nausea/headache all signal your brain that you “feel” anxious, so you ARE anxious. Hydration to slow the pulse, raise the blood sugar & calm the body will also help calm the brain- same concept as when we give heart-rate-slowing meds to calm the brain for stage fright.

🤦‍♀️Lastly, there is anxiety over what you may or may not have done while drunk & judgement-impaired, especially if you have memory gaps.

🎃 If you’re regularly suffering from “hangxiety”, please jump on the Sober October trend & give your brain a break! I love that it’s so trendy that no one blinks if you just say you’re not drinking this month (Pro tip: this is also easy to use as an “excuse” for college students who don’t want to drink, but feel pressured!)

➡️ Please share ❤️

👍🏼 Parents, many of us could also benefit from taking a break from alcohol during Sober October, why not jump on the trend? So many great nonalcoholic cocktails these days, makes it much easier to kick the daily drinking habit.

#freshmanadvice #hangxiety #soberoctober #parentingteens #hangovers taken in Colorado, USA by @jillgrimesmd

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10 days ago

🚨College Students: do you know where to go for an exam if you have been sexua11y assaulted?

‼️You need medical care AND you may want evidence collected- and while it’s never too late to seek care, sooner is better to maximize your chance of detecting any date-r8p drugs, collect evidence & prevent STIs and pregnancy

👩‍⚕️Campus health centers frequently do not have the trained staff available to perform a full forensic exam, but they can typically treat you & help you get to a nearby place (often a hospital)that does formal SAFE (Sexua1 Assault Forensic Exams)

👍🏼KUDOS to universities like UW- Madison, where students are able to get a SAFE exam through their university health services

➡️Take home message: Please seek care asap, & don’t assume your Student Heath Services are the first place to go for SA- take a minute NOW to check your campus resources to find out where they recommend students go and see what support services they are able to offer

📍Remember- if you’ve already showered, changed clothes and/or brushed your teeth- it’s not too late!

✅You do NOT have to decide now whether or not you want to proceed with legal steps, but it is time now to get medical care

🙏🏼 I hope you never need this information- but please share it with any teens or young people in your life

#parentingteens #safeexam #sexualassaultawareness #collegelifestyle #collegehealth taken in United States of America by @jillgrimesmd

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12 days ago

😕 Did you know college constipation is a common problem, especially for freshmen?

🍕 After years in college health doing 24 dietary recalls with patients, I can tell you that MANY students go the entire day without eating ANY fruits or vegetables beyond French fries & a leaf of lettuce plus a slice of tomato on a burger.

☕️ Additionally, many students adopt or increase COFFEE in their diet, which contributes to dehydration because of the caffeine diuretic effect.

3️⃣ we all need 3 things for normal bowel movements- adequate hydration, fiber & physical movement.

🍓 Parents, consider surprising your student with gift cards for smoothie shops, sandwich/salad shops or grocery stores to help encourage more produce consumption!

💊 I definitely push eating more high fiber food sources over taking any medications (like Miralax or any OTC stool softeners) but using single serving powder fiber supplements is often helpful & easy.

👍🏼 Public restroom anxiety can also play a big role in college constipation- if your student is complaining about having to share a bathroom, it might not just be about others hogging the shower or leaving a mess on the sink!

🧑🏼‍⚕️If your college kid is dealing with abdominal discomfort, bloating or constipation, please encourage them to see a doctor if their symptoms don’t improve with these simple modifications.

#collegehealth #constipation #publicrestroom #freshmanadvice #parentingteens by @jillgrimesmd

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13 days ago

🚨Hey College Students, if you haven’t gotten around to it yet, here’s your sign: it’s TIME to WASH YOUR SHEETS

💡Parents, an EASY way to nudge your college student is to forward or text a link to this post (so it’s really coming from me, not you nagging them 😉)

🤷‍♀️ No judgement, but WASHING SHEETS is so low on most college students’ priority list that bedding OFTEN gets ignored & washed maybe once or twice per semester, leading to body odor & room stinkiness, & unfortunately, this can also aggravate acne

‼️Especially when you are feeling stressed, make time to WASH your sheets & IMMEDIATELY MAKE UP YOUR BED with the clean sheets (so they don’t sit in a pile on the bed for days before the bed gets made up) then do an extra thorough shower & shave any body parts you prefer before slipping into those soothing clean sheets -the feeling is so luxurious & mood lifting!

👍🏼 You’ve got this!

#collegehealth #parentingteens #freshmanadvice #washyoursheets #collegelife taken in Austin, Texas by @jillgrimesmd

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14 days ago

‼️I’ve been talking about consent with teens & young adults for over 20 years, & this is the definition I use

👍🏼 Consent is ongoing, verbalized, enthusiastic agreement that can be freely withdrawn at any time

🚫 A person who is intoxicated with alcohol, w33d, pills or any mind-altering substance cannot give consent (yes, I’m aware the state of NY apparently has a legal loophole, but this is what I believe SHOULD be our standard)

💔 Remember that someone who is drinking or using mind-altering substances may have a blackout memory gap the next day- and may truly have no memory of “giving consent” (in quotes because again, someone intoxicated cannot give consent)

🔑 It is KEY that the person giving consent does not feel pressured or trapped into saying yes- I’ve seen far too many students who physically & emotionally felt trapped into saying yes (or not saying no) in someone’s dorm room or in a hotel for formals or away weekends

🎓 I hope parents & students alike can use the current horrific headlines to have deeper conversations & promote better communication

ETA: Labeled AI content, Instagram?? I used Canva to create my slides, but the content is 💯 my voice

#collegelife #parentingteens #consent #freshmanadvice #hookups taken in Austin, Texas by @jillgrimesmd

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15 days ago