Budgeting for your Elective

Here are the main things you'll probably need to budget for when planning an elective:

• Travel (flights and also in-country travel). For cheap flights and international bus and rail passes check the related website.
  STA also sell the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) for discounts worldwide – details on their website of how to buy online and at STA branches around the country

• Visas. See the UK Foreign Office website which gives comprehensive travel advice by country and links for all international embassies in the UK. If you are not a UK national it is normally faster and cheaper to apply for non-UK visas in your home country so plan ahead

• Travel insurance. This is essential as it covers not only your belongings but also emergency medical treatment and retrieval

• Professional indemnity insurance. You will need this in addition to travel insurance which won’t cover you if you’re sued by a patient or their family. If you are already a member of one of the medical indemnity / defense organisations check if they offer free indemnity provision for your elective. The main ones do but you need to be a member and to contact them before you travel. Some have exclusions e.g. won’t provide free cover for electives in Australia or the USA so make sure you check.

The Medical Protection Society student Membership Helpline: 0845 718 7187
The Medical Defence Union
Medical & Dental Defence Union of Scotland
(see the related website links)

• Accommodation. This could be a home-stay with a local family; a room at the university / hospital where the elective is taking place; B&B, hotel or hostel. For costs of budget tourist accommodation check out travel guides such as the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide

• Fees. For organised electives these may include the costs of in-country travel, accommodation, language classes, some clinical teaching and insurance depending on the organisation arranging the elective – make sure that you carefully check exactly what is and is not included

• Day-to-day living costs e.g. food and water

• Medical supplies – as well as a medical pack for your own needs, students who travel to developing countries sometimes take supplies to donate to the local hospital / health centre

• Pre-travel immunisations – most GP practices now charge for these. Check whether the hospital attached to your medical school offers students free travel jabs via Occupational Health. See the related link for good information on endemic diseases

• Malaria prophylaxis. Costs vary depending on which tablets you take

• Personal spending money. Depends on how much vacation travel you’re planning and what part of the world you’ll be in (cheaper in parts of Asia and Africa)