Study AwayHealth Service Travel Consults
If you are planning to study or travel away, Gustavus Health Service offers appointments to complete program paperwork, update medication prescriptions, discuss various pre-travel vaccinations and review any health care concerns with a medical provider.
Schedule your travel consult appointment at least 4-6 weeks before your planned departure but no earlier than 6 months before the start of your program. This will allow appropriate timing for needed vaccinations and other health recommendations.
Bring the following to your appointment:
- All of your immunization records
- Your itinerary and activities
- A list of your current prescription medications and over the counter medications
- Completed form from Gustavus (please find this on your studioabroad.com account) and any necessary health forms from your destination program provider (i.e., CIEE, IES, SIT, IFSA-Butler, etc.)
Please have the student section of all program forms completed PRIOR to your appointment.
Go to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website for information/requirements for your planned destination(s) at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel. Educate yourself about possible health concerns and alerts specific to your travel plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my insurance cover my visit?
Most insurance companies do not cover travel health consults, but some may. You are encouraged to contact your insurance company using the customer service number provided on the back of your insurance card to ask about coverage for pre-travel appointments.
Will I need any shots?
Immunizations will be reviewed for all students presenting for a travel consult. Some students need general vaccinations updated, other students will need specific vaccines for the country or region of the world to which they are traveling. Some vaccines are administered via a needle, others are available orally.
I take a regular prescription. Can I take that abroad with me?
In many cases, you will have no trouble taking your prescription medication abroad, but you should check with CICE. Some types of medication may be illegal in the country in which you will study. CICE can help guide you to the US Embassy to see if you are allowed to enter your host country with your prescription medication and if there are any restrictions on quantity. Whenever you travel with medication, it is very important that you always keep the medication in its original packaging and that you keep the prescription information from the pharmacy (this is often a label affixed to the medication).
I’m going to Western Europe and have traveled there before or I’m an international student in the U.S. already and I’m preparing to study away. Do I really need a travel consult?
Yes, whatever your destination and wherever you are from, a travel consult is important to prepare you to manage your health away from home and campus. In some cases, your health or prescriptions may have changed, or you may need to consider how you will obtain your prescriptions during a longer stay abroad. Some vaccinations that are typically not necessary for a short stay in a county may be recommended for longer stays. No two countries are exactly alike, so even if you are already an international student or a student who has been abroad before, you will need to prepare for your host country. A travel consult will help you to stay healthy abroad, even when going to a location that is more familiar to you, so you can get the most out of your experience.
Don’t wait until it is too late! Schedule through the Health Portal at https://gustavus.studenthealthportal.com/
Useful Links
Center for International and Cultural Education (CICE)
https://gustavus.edu/cice/
US CDC Travel Health Home
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
US Department of State Travel Warnings and Consular Information
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html
WHO (World Health Organization) International Travel and Health
http://www.who.int/ith/en/