For the Student Traveler, Part II

Did you know that of the 21 students profiled in the What I Did This Summer review on osu.edu, more than half of those life-changing experiences occured in other countries?  That, along with our record enrollment of international students this year, means that Ohio State is truly your gateway to the world.  Student Health is ready to help make your international travels as safe and healthy as we can, through our Travel Medicine Consultations.  Take a look at this information from the CDC, from a blog post we ran this summer:

President Gee wants every Ohio State student to take advantage of opportunities to study internationally.  As he recently wrote, “I am convinced that an international experience is an essential element of every student’s education.”  You can see his full comments here.

We hope you do get a chance to study abroad and want you to know that we are here to help you do it.  In Part I, we talked about things you should do before you head out of the country.  In this post, we’ll talk about things you should do to stay safe and healthy once you get there.

Most students have great experiences abroad, but travel can pose some risks to your health and safety.  Student Health Services is prepared to guide you through some of those hazards and make sure you are armed with everything you need to stay safe – good information and advice as well as vaccines and medicines. 

Question – do you know the most common cause of preventable death in travelers in other countries?  Malaria?  Typhoid?  Flu?  Guess again.  It’s motor vehicle accidents. 

Watch the following video for more useful prevention information from the CDC:

 


 

BTW, you need a passport to do all of this stuff.  Don’t have one?  Check out the Office of International Affairs website to find out how to get one. 

Bon Voyage!

Roger Miller, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University