Home   Student Electives   Preparing your Elective   Preparing for your Medical Elective - in a resource poor country

Make sure that your hosts know when and where you will arrive and that you know whether or not you will be met. If you have to make your own arrangements to reach your final destination make you know how best to do this before you leave the UK. It's scary being totally in the dark (sometimes literally!) on arrival in a strange place where you can't speak the language or understand the signs.

Some further do's and don't

• Be security conscious at all times and take sensible precautions.
• Never resist violent theft.
• Never carry packages for other people through customs.
• Never sit in anyone else's car when crossing a border or going through customs, always get out and walk.
• Never leave your bags unattended, even in a locked vehicle.
• Keep valuable items to a minimum
• Carry as little cash as possible and use traveller's cheques where possible.
• Keep credit/debit cards to a minimum
• Carry all these things and your passport in a money belt under your clothing.

If you get into these habits early you'll find that they very quickly become routine.