Although there is testing offered on campus at the tent on O’Hare Lawn, students who live both on and off campus have access to testing just outside of the Fordham gates at places such as CityMD Fordham Urgent Care and Doctor Urgent Medical Center. 

Vice President of Administration and Fordham’s COVID-19 Coordinator Marco A. Valera stated that getting tested on campus is always an easy option, but students have the benefit of being close to off-campus testing sites as well.

“If it becomes difficult for students to get to campus for a variety of reasons, then students should decide to get tested off-campus,” said Valera. 

CityMD Fordham Urgent Care is located at 338 E Fordham Road, a few feet down from the Walgreens and the Metro-North gate. The facility is open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. In addition to it being in close proximity to campus, appointments or referrals are not required, and they offer free tests to all patients, regardless of if you have active symptoms. They offer both Serum Antibody tests as well as PCR (nasal swab) tests.

Jimmy Dougherty, GSB ’22, said he has been tested at the CityMD various times throughout the semester. 

“Every time I get tested there, it is so simple,” said Doughtery. “The longest it has ever taken me was an hour and that was at rush hour when everyone was getting out of work.” 

As an RA in O’Hare Hall, Dougherty said he has to make sure that he is getting tested frequently to ensure he is not a risk to the students he attends to in O’Hare. 

“I like going to CityMD because I don’t have to have symptoms to get tested,” said Dougherty. “I just walk in and there and they take me whether I feel sick or not. I received my results in 24 to 48 hours.”

Doctor Urgent Medical Center is closer to Arthur Avenue and Bathgate Avenue and gives tests free of charge. Located next to Best Deli, this urgent care facility is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Similar to CityMD, referrals are not required and testing is offered to all patients. 

Dominique Teixeira, FCRH ’21 an off-campus resident of Hoffman Avenue, said he has had no bad experiences at Doctor Urgent Care Medical Center.

“I go to the Urgent Care center every time I have to get tested,” said Teixeira. “They are always open, which makes it so accessible, especially for students like me who are always busy.” 

Urgent Care Center accepts many different kinds of insurance and offers both rapid and PCR tests. 

“There were some instances this semester where I had to receive both a rapid and PCR test,” said Teixeira. “I did not have to go anywhere else besides the Urgent Care center, which was so convenient, and they had my information and insurance already in the system.”

Although Doctor Urgent Care Medical Center’s website reads that appointments are required to receive a COVID-19 test, Luke Vernaci, FCRH ’22, said he has walked into the facility without an appointment and could still receive a test. 

“In early November, I wanted to get a rapid test before returning home for the weekend, so I called the center and they said I could just walk in,” said Vernaci. “They called me back with my results 40 minutes after getting the test.”

Appointments can be made here to see available testing times and dates. 

According to Fordham’s student testing guidelines, each student has to be tested at least once a month. However, Valera said he recommends students get tested if they are experiencing symptoms or were exposed.

“If a student is experiencing symptoms, that is a reason to get tested more than the required monthly test,” said Valera. “It doesn’t hurt to get a test to put your mind at ease.”