Medical Care
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Inevitably some students find they need medical care overseas. Here are some of the more common problems and how you should handle them.
Prescription Medications
If you regularly take a prescription medication, bring enough with you for the semester. Get your doctor to give you a generic breakdown (not just a generic name) of your prescription, so that you can refill your prescription overseas if necessary.
Take a letter from your doctor to present to customs officials if you are carrying medication.
Some countries have recently tightened their drug control laws. We do not recommend that your parents mail prescription medication to you. In France, customs officials have confiscated prescription medication. If you must refill a prescription while abroad, check with your physician or consult the Center Staff on obtaining an equivalent generic prescription overseas. If you must receive medication by mail, please check with the consulate for your host country about the legality of receiving your specific medication abroad. The consulate should also be able to inform you of the proper documentation, such as physician’s prescription, necessary for shipment. The Electronic Embassy has direct links to the web sites of foreign embassies.
Allergy Shots (General)
If you regularly receive allergy shots and must continue treatment while you are overseas, please notify the SU Abroad office in writing and complete Form 3: Health Information. Please contact our local staff upon arrival. The center staff will help you select a local doctor and will arrange to refrigerate your serum, if necessary. If possible, bring enough serum for your entire semester abroad. As with all prescribed medicines you should:
- Bring your medication in the original containers
- Bring a prescription from your physician which provides the generic breakdown and dosages
- Pack your medication in your carry-on luggage
- Do not mail prescription medication
Allergy Shots (England)
Most general practitioners within the British National Health System will not administer allergy shots. You may be able to receive allergy shots from a private practitioner, provided you bring your serum and the necessary medical documentation from your personal physician, such as your prescription and case notes.
Private care in Britain can be quite expensive. In the past, students on our London program have had to pay as much as 70 pounds per injection plus the cost of a private consultation, easily as much as 100 pounds. If you must take allergy shots while in London, please follow these guidelines:
- Bring your medication in its original containers and a copy of your physician’s prescription
- Bring a reference letter from your physician and a copy of your medical file, or at least the case notes pertaining to your allergy medication
- Budget for the extra cost of private medical care
- Contact our staff at the London Centre for the names and addresses of private practitioners who will administer allergy shots
- Check with your medical insurance provider regarding coverage and reimbursement for allergy shots and private care
Special Medical Needs
If you have chronic or temporary medical conditions that require special consideration or a doctor’s attention, please contact us prior to leaving the United States. We may ask you to document your medical condition for our records by completing Form #3: Health Information. If you are not certain whether a condition you have warrants such precautions, please check with your family doctor or Health Services.
It is a good idea to wear a medic alert bracelet (in English and French) if you have a medical condition or drug allergies that might affect your treatment in the case of an emergency.
Finding a Doctor Abroad
During orientation, you will receive information about medical services in your host city. If you get sick or injure yourself, you should contact our local staff immediately; they will help you obtain the medical care you need. Our Centers have a list of English-speaking doctors who have provided services to our students in the past. In Florence, an English-speaking doctor visits the Center regularly for student consultations.
If you require medical treatment, you should be able to call your parents once you get appropriate medical attention. Our Center will call your parents for you if you can’t get to a phone.
Medical information and referrals are available to all SU Abroad students with their password at http://www.internationalsos.com/Private/SyracuseUniversity/.
The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT) also provides information about English-speaking doctors abroad. You should visit their website and/or contact them at least two weeks prior to your departure to receive information.
Dental Care
It’s a good idea to have a dental check-up before you leave for abroad. In an emergency, our Centers abroad can provide a list of dentists that students have used in the past.
Food and Water Safety
Contaminated food and drink are the major sources of intestinal illness while living or traveling abroad. Food and beverages should be selected with care. In general, hot beverages, such as coffee and tea, and canned or bottled beverages may be considered safe to drink. Any raw or undercooked food could be contaminated. Salads, uncooked vegetables and fruit, unpasteurized milk and milk products, raw meat and shellfish often pose the greatest concern. Food that has been cooked and is still hot is generally safe.
For more information on traveler’s health and safety, we recommend that you consult the Center for Disease Control web site.
Mad Cow Disease
The Center for Disease Control estimates that the risk of acquiring New Variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease or nvCJD (the human form of Mad Cow’s Disease) from eating beef to be extremely small (1 case per 10 billion servings). Nonetheless, to reduce possible risk of acquiring nvCJD from food, students on our European programs may wish to:
- Avoid beef and beef products all together
- Select beef or beef products, such as solid pieces of muscle meat (rather than burgers or sausages), that might have reduced opportunity for contamination
Milk and milk products are not believed to pose a risk of transmitting nvCJD.
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
For information on Avian Influenza log onto the SOS International site using your password at http://www.internationalsos.com/Private/SyracuseUniversity/. After logging in, go to Diseases and Prevention in the Medical Tools box on the right part of the screen. Then scroll down to Bird Flu, which will open a new window with information on the Avian Flu.