Travel Abroad

Once your international elective, observership or training abroad has been approved, you can start to plan the details of your trip. Specifics may differ depending on the country you visit, so please make sure to compliment these guidelines with your own country-specific research.

Required Documentation

It is the student or resident's responsibility to ensure you obtain the appropriate documentation:

• A valid passport
• A visitor’s Visa (if applicable) *
• Appropriate travel insurance (health, evacuation and malpractice, if applicable)

*Invitation Letter (China): Please note that if you are travelling to Shanghai, China, to participate in one of the programs under various partnership the Faculty of Medicine has with different Chinese universities, an official invitation letter to include in your Chinese Visa application will be sent to you by the International and Global Health Office (IGHO). The Visa Application remains the responsibility of the student.

Logistics

Once your international placement has been approved you can start to plan the logistics of your travel.  You are responsible for finding your own flight and accommodations. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Pre-Departure Training

ALL learners at the University of Ottawa planning international travel related to their program must complete mandatory International Mobility Risk Management online modules 2 weeks prior to departure. 

Please visit the pre-departure training section for details.

Pre-Travel Clinics

If you are going to a low resource country where there are health and occupational health risks, you should plan to see a travel medicine provider 4-6 weeks before you leave. In addition to the usual travel medication and vaccines, you should discuss Post-exposure prophylaxis with the nurse or physician.

• University of Ottawa Travel Clinic: Travel medical clinic
• Pre-travel clinics: Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres in Canada
• While abroad, bring your own PEP, N95 masks, latex gloves and hand sanitizer
• Bring all the personal drugs/supplies you think that you will need

Medical and security risk services

The University of Ottawa has developed a formal risk management framework that is applied to the University as a whole.

Before traveling abroad, please consult the uOttawa International Travel Risk Management Directive.

COVID-19: Students must ensure the register to the uOttawa travel registry and abide by the uOttawa travel policy (information available here: International Mobility - Faculty of Medicine Learners).  

Safety Planning

• Identify the Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in the country you plan to visit 

Pre-Travel Checklist 

Once you believe all aspects of your travel have been planned, please review and ensure all of the following have been completed:

• My international elective is chosen, approved, and organized.
• I have researched my host community’s culture and travel risk. 
• I have read about my destination (Websites, Lonely Planet®) and have talked to those who have gone before.
• I have completed the pre-departure training session and online modules.
• I have registered to the uOttawa travel registry. 
• My passport is valid for at least six months beyond my return travel date.
• I have checked visa requirements and secured all necessary visas and documents.
• I have consulted with a travel healthcare professional.
• I have made flight arrangements.
• I have obtained adequate travel health insurance and know where to get medical care in my host community.
• I have researched and purchased evacuation insurance.
• I have provided my contact information to family, friends and my sending institution/organization. A close friend or family member also has a copy of my travel documents, placement details, and travel arrangements (I have also e-mailed all of this information to myself).
• I have registered with Canadians Abroad or Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (USA) and confirmed contact information for local Canadian, British and/or Australian embassies and consulates, as appropriate.
• I have refilled my regular prescriptions, including optometrical.
• I have money in both Canadian and appropriate international currencies.
• I have checked the Global Affairs Canada or US Department of State travel advisories. (In general, universities do not allow students to visit regions where the Government of Canada has a travel advisory restricting non-essential travel).
• I have completed the pre-departure training, as directed. 
• I have researched and purchased evacuation insurance when appropriate. 
• I have refilled my regular prescriptions, including optometrical and ensure I am travelling only with medication for which I have a prescription. 
• I have provided a copy of my itinerary and contact information to a trusted person (such as a parent or spouse) in my home country
• I have completed the pre-departure training, as directed. 
• I have researched and purchased evacuation insurance when appropriate. 
• I have refilled my regular prescriptions, including optometrical and ensure I am travelling only with medication for which I have a prescription. 
• I have provided a copy of my itinerary and contact information to a trusted person (such as a parent or spouse) in my home country

In Country Debriefing

• Please pay attention to and respond to emails from the International and Global Health Office (Faculty of Medicine) and uOttawa's International Office.
• Be careful that you are working within your level of competency (The other white coat syndrome)
• Things may operate at a different speed in the country you are visiting
• Need to gain trust and hopefully get involved with something sustainable
• Take good care to NOT undermine what is working
• Be careful of the foot print that you leave
• Remember that you are always an ambassador for your school (Faculty of Medicine, U of Ottawa)
• You can always contact the International and Global Health Office

Emergency Contact Card

While abroad, it is a smart idea to keep emergency contact details with you, both in the case that you need to contact someone while abroad, or if someone needs to be contacted on your behalf.

Emergency contacts abroad: It is your responsibility to reach out to your supervisor to get emergency contact information for while you are abroad. Make sure to also be aware of the county’s emergency services number.

Personal emergency contacts: Make sure to keep your personal emergency contacts with you, in the case of medical or other emergencies. You can use this template for the information: Emergency Contact Tag (pdf, 91.07 KB)

Photos

If you have the chance, please take some photos during your visit! The Faculty of Medicine likes to promote the international experiences of our students and residents through online communications channels. If you consent and send us a few of your favourite photos along with a short description, we may post them on our website and/or our Twitter account. 

Examples of photos could be you meeting with colleagues, in-action shots of clinical or research settings, interesting tourist photos, etc. Please make sure to respect people’s privacy and ask permission before sending us your photos.

Please send photos and a 1-2 sentence description to us by email. Thank you in advance for your contributions.

Debriefing

Debriefing is mandatory for students returning from LMICs.  It may also be needed if a negative experience occurred. Please check with the requirements of your program (International elective) and check your uOttawa email account regularly. 

• Give yourself a chance to reacclimatize.

• Don't be too hard on those of us who were left at home / don’t be too hard on yourself or your efforts.
• Student Affairs, Student Wellness and the IGHO are always available for support if required

Please visit the section on debriefing for more details.