Things to Know Before You Go

Sections:

Before You Go >< While You're There >< Once You're Back

Before You Go

Getting There

Traveling can be expensive. Try to lower costs by looking for deals on flights, trains, and other forms of transportation. Check out discount flight sites and travel guides to see what other people have done.

Getting There, Legally

Passports. Even Canada requires a passport to enter now. So obtain one if you are truly desire to cross country lines.

Visas. Many U.S. citizens have never used a visa, even if they have traveled before. Most countries do not require U.S. citizens to carry any official documents other than their passport. However, this is not true for all countries (e.g. China, India, Kenya). Find out if where you are going requires a visa and how far in advance you must apply. For some countries, it can be as much as 3 months so prepare ahead of time otherwise your airplane ticket will go to waste.

Getting Credit for the Rotation

This is slightly dependent on which campus you are on. Students on each campus will need to obtain approval prior to commencing the rotation and will have to have evaluations filled by their away preceptor.

For more specific information, check out the campus specific information on this site.

Vaccinations and Travel Health

The CDC recommends certain vaccinations and prophylactic measures depending on the region you are traveling to. Check their website to find out what steps you need to take to prepare for your trip abroad.

Health Insurance

UIC's Study Abroad Office contracts with Cultural Insurances Services International to provide international health insurance for its students and faculty. Students can purchase insurance for different lengths of time, depending on their needs, and are covered for basic medical costs as well as some emergency care.

Click here for more information.

Scholarships

Travel scholarships are available through a variety of different organizations. See our page on travel funding to get information about a few of these funding opportunities.

Go to scholarship page.

While You're There

Living There

There are many options for housing. Be sure that the location you select is safe and allows you to travel to your clinic/hospital site easily. Things to consider are cost, whether or not food and internet are included, how close the site is to your work site, how accesible transportation is.

On-site Transport

Depending on where you go, there are will be lots of options for transportation. It may be helpful to consult travel sites to find out what popular modes of travel are in your site of interest. Also check in with people you know who have traveled to the same location for their advice on this topic.

Once You're Back

Finalizing Paperwork, Getting Credit

To ensure you get credit for completing your rotation, turn in the necessary paperwork.

Spread the Word

Tell FEC about your trip. We want to know what worked well and what you'd do differently so that future students can benefit from your knowledge. Fill out the survey or send us your comments and we will add them to our database.

Thanks in advance!