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Preparing For Your International Trip: Travel Medicine
The importance of adequate preparation, up to a year in advance, for a medical expedition overseas cannot be overestimated. Your first step should be to contact your school's travel medicine clinic, as well as to contact the institution or organization through which you intend to travel. Be sure to verify exactly what is and what is not covered or included by the host institution's fees. Below is a list of a few things to consider before departure. By no means is this list inclusive, but rather it should only serve as a very general guideline to inspire further research.
- Travel expenses & funding
- Passport/visa issues
- Immunizations
- PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) kit
- Mental/psychological preparedness for dealing with the cross-cultural issues and barriers that will inevitably arise: you must be able to maintain compassion, understanding, and respect for the members and practices of the community in which you will intervene; you must be, in their eyes, an ally, and not a threat to their way of life and tradition
- Epidemiology of current regional health issues that you will try to remedy in your region: what tools will you need to accomplish this most effectively?
- What are the health risks posed to you, as an international traveler, and what can you do to prevent your own illness, or, should you contract something, what can you do to treat it - who should you contact in case of a personal emergency?C
- Be aware of the cultural traditions and social hierarchy of your region: who is your most effective target for change/intervention in your community? With this you must consider not only who will be most receptive to your approach, but also who will exert the most influence in exacting your intervention. In many cases this can be anyone who is willing to become involved, in any direct or indirect way, whether it be through transportation services, communication and translation, medical aide, et cetera. It is not always who you would expect, and you do not want to waste time or effort directed at an ineffectual target, or, worst yet, have a negative impact on your community right from the start. What is your most effective method or approach? Your strategy must not stem from condescension or cultural judgment, but rather should represent respectful horizontal counsel, where you dispense medical advice in a comfortable, non-threatening manner, regardless of how foreign or harmful their cultural practices might seem.
- What is the social and political climate of the region? Are there any explicit dangers inherent in traveling to this region? Make sure that you are aware of the causes and factors of the current situation, so that you can avoid dangerous areas, and so that you do not, out of ignorance, offend someone, or endanger yourself or anyone else. You must be extremely tactful in every situation in order to not inadvertently insult cultural beliefs or practices, or to cause unrest of any kind.
The following are some websites that might prove useful in preparing for your trip overseas: (also see Publications - Travel Medicine)
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