Preparations

What does one need to think about when planning an elective? 

Well, there sure are lots of bits to it. The first of them is where you’re actually going to go and, depending on how flexible this can be, some people start looking into electives up to 2 years (if not longer!) before they actually go. Places like America and Canada need a lot of forward planning. Doing it in the UK is less faff. And then there’s a whole grey area in the middle.

Once you’ve got where you’re going, next up is all the preparation. This might not be the most thrilling read for some, but anyone who might go on an elective or long trip abroad one day might find it relevant.

This was my list of ‘main headings’:

FLIGHTS – obviously, haha. And the earlier the better as you can get them cheaper. But sometimes you can get held up from confirming because you’re waiting on approval from various people (elective hospital, university, funding bodies etc.)

ACCOMODATION – yep, another obvious one. Might be a mix of hotel/hostel/family home-stay/camping and a variety of different settings can be fun but this is one of the most difficult things I’ve found to plan because, if you go somewhere remote, there’s not much online and you rely on local knowledge and recommendation. A good bit of advice I was given was – just make sure you’ve got somewhere for the first few nights. You can sort out all the rest once you’re out there!

VISA(S) – including the long stay in your destination but also checking entry requirements for any countries you might pass through temporarily on your journey eg. I’ve got 9 hours in Guam where I have to enter the country overnight.

VACCINES – and other travel medications eg. anti-malarials. Fortunately Micronesia doesn’t have Malaria or Yellow Fever or other things that need expensive vaccinations but it’s recommended you get the following common travel vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Typhoid. Get any vaccinations in plenty of time before your trip.

GUIDE BOOKS – again, useful to get these early as they will provide lots of useful information to direct your other preparations eg. currency, electricity supply/adaptors, local travel.

LUGGAGE – you might need to buy some new luggage that’s right for your trip. Something that’s large enough? Something that can go on your back if you’ll be walking around with your luggage a lot? Something that’s waterproof? Something that’s got wheels? Tip: check your airline luggage dimension allowance as these can limit your choices!

DOCUMENTS – passport (with at least 6 months to go on it!), flight itinerary, emergency UK-based contact details and your embassy information for whilst you’re away (interestingly, the UK embassy for Micronesia is dealt with at the embassy in Fiji – let’s hope I don’t need to go there, Fiji is still pretty far away!). It can be useful to take a copy of any prescriptions you normally have to prove why you have certain drugs with you.

TRAVEL INSURANCE – ASAP after booking your flights! There’s special ‘elective insurance’ for medical students available that cover you for occupational risks as well as your normal travel insurance stuff. You don’t need to buy two separate policies. Handy!

FIRST AID KIT AND TRAVEL HEALTH PACK – always useful if you’re not sure what might be available and accessible to at your destination. For health workers, this also includes considering taking some Post-Exposure Prophylaxis medication with you in case you get a needle stick injury from a blood-borne disease contaminated sample. If you’ve got your own supply (which, kindly our university organises for us at a pretty reasonable price) then you can at least be safe in the knowledge you have immediate supply of some.

MONEY – cash? Use your debit/credit cards? (these can have super pricey fees for overseas use – check online before you travel) Take out a pre-loaded cash card? (Travelex and most big holiday companies do these). Tricky decision, but it’s useful to think through to find the cheapest option.

UNIVERSITY PAPERWORK – this will come in many forms depending on your medical school and can take some time to complete eg. you may be asked to devise a Risk Assessment for your trip which requires some research.  

Then finally – CLOTHES! A nice excuse to go shopping to find some destination-appropriate outfits. Plus any other kit you might need like travel adaptors, books, sunglasses and all rest.

It can be a lot to comprehend but there’s a lot of fun to be had in the preparation of your trip. I couldn’t have done it without a lot of lists!