Health:

  1. Please have both medical and dental check ups before you go abroad.
  2. Make sure you receive all required vaccinations before you leave.  Note that some vaccinations are given in a series of shots administered weeks or months apart, so please do not leave this until the last minute.
  3. Obtain enough of all prescription medications that you require for the duration of your program, and make sure to keep them in their original containers with the pharmacy label clearly stating your name and the prescribing doctor’s name.  It is also advisable to take a note from your physician stating the medicine you are taking, its dosage, its generic name and the condition being treated.
  4. Make sure you inform your program director of any medical conditions for which you might require care or special accommodations while you are abroad (for example diabetes, epilepsy, severe allergies, etc.)
  5. Make sure you have supplemental travel insurance; leave a copy of your policy with your parents and another copy with the Office of International and Off-Campus Education.
  6. Make sure you have completely filled out your Medical Information Form and file it with the Office of International and Off-Campus Education.
  7. Know the local conditions that you will encounter while abroad, and consider how this will affect you.  Is the weather extreme? Are there common allergens you need to worry about? Does the local diet present any difficulties for you? Is the water safe to drink? Have there been any recent epidemics?
  8. As a matter of both health and safety, avoid overindulging in alcohol while abroad, and absolutely refrain from using any illegal drugs.
  9. Carry blood type and important medical conditions on your person.
  10. Carry your medical insurance card with you at all times.

Disclosure of medical conditions and/or disabilities

The social and cultural changes associated with studying abroad can put students under a great deal of physical and emotional stress, aggravating existing conditions. For this reason, we strongly encourage students to disclose any and all medical, physical, psychological and/or dietary conditions that may require special accomodation while abroad. Such information will be kept strictly confidential, released only to the Director of the program and any necessary health care professionals should such a need arise.

You can find more information regarding the disclosure of disabilities and medical conditions in the context of education abroad at www.miusa.org.

Lafayette College complies with all federal and state legislation and does not in any way discriminate in educational programs on the basis of physical ability.