5:30 – 6:30 Plenary 6:30 Regional Break-out sessions 7:30 – 8:00 Refreshments

1. Welcome to Pre-Departure Orientation October 5th, 2011 5:30 p.m. 5:30 – 6:30 Plenary 6:30 Regional Break-out sessions 7:30 – 8:00 Refreshments (Leacock Building main floor and 2nd floor) IMPORTANT! In your regional break-out session, you will be asked to complete the PINK SHEET found in your information package. IF you will be traveling within Canada or the U.S., please complete it and leave it with a staff member on your way out after this presentation.

2. Speakers • André Costopoulos Associate Dean Student Affairs Faculty of ArtsMcGill University • Sylvie Fafard • Deputy Director • Outreach and Partnership Programs Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) • Pierre-Paul Tellier MD • Director • McGill Student Health Services • Associate Professor • Family Medicine McGill University Carla Jensen International Education Admin. Office of International Education McGill University

3. Canadian Consular Services Sylvie Fafard Deputy Director, Outreach and Partnership Programs Consular, Security and Emergency Management Branch Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT)

4. Canadian Consular Services Your best source of safe-travel advice and information

5. In this presentation… Overview of the Canadian Consular Services- role- services - tools Smart-travel tips Questions?

6. What is the role of Canadian Consular Services? • Prevention • - To help Canadians prepare for foreign travel • Assistance • - To provide services and help to all Canadians • abroad • - To coordinate the Government of Canada’s • response to international emergencies affecting • Canadians abroad

7. Who we are… • More than 260 Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates in over 150 countries worldwide • Q: What is the difference between an embassy, • a high commission and a consulate?

8. Embassy: in the capital city of another country • (Washington D.C., Paris, Brasilia) • High commission: in the capital city of a Commonwealth country • (London, Canberra, New Delhi) • Consulate: in a major but not capital city • (Los Angeles, Nice, Rio de Janeiro)

9. Who we are… • Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa • Assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week • Call collect to 613 996-8885 or e-mail sos@international.gc.ca

10. Consular officials in Canadian offices abroad and in Ottawa are there to… • Assist in medical emergencies by providing • a list of local doctors and hospitals • Transfer emergency funds ($) • Contact next of kin in case of emergency • Provide assistance in case of missing persons

11. Consular officials in Canadian offices abroad and in Ottawa are there to… • Assist victims of robbery or other violence • Seek to ensure that Canadians are treated fairly under the country’s laws if arrested or detained • Replace lost or stolen passports ($) • Notarize certain Canadian documents ($)

12. Consular officials do not provide the following services: • Perform marriage ceremonies • Store personal effects • Accept mail on your behalf • Assist with job or apartment hunting • Get you out of prison

13. A bit more on the prison issue… • 1,800 Canadians currently imprisoned abroad • Most of them for drug-related offences • And most of them are in… • the United States • The rest are in prisons in almost 100 other countries

14. Your basic tool kit • For travelling and studying abroad

15. travel.gc.ca

18. Risk levels and Travel Warnings

19. Registration of Canadians Abroad Who should register? All Canadians travelling or living abroad Why? So that we can contact and assist you in an emergency abroad, or to inform you of a family emergency at home

20. Smart-travel publications

21. Before you go… Learn about your destination • What documents do you need? • Valid passport • Student visa • Work permit • Proof of AIDS testing • Certificate of vaccination • International driver’s licence

22. Travel YOUR way, the SMART way! • Travel health insurance: don’t leave without it! • Protect your passport. Make photocopies of all your travel documents • Prescription medication and syringes: yes, but… • Dual citizenship: is it an issue? • Illegal drugs: Zero Tolerance • Local culture and laws: learn ahead of time

23. Contact us • General information • 1-800-267-6788 (Canada and U.S.) or 613-944-6788 • travel@international.gc.ca • Emergencies • 613-996-8885 (call collect from abroad) sos@international.gc.ca • travel.gc.ca

24. Questions?... Thank you / Merci Bon voyage!

25. Pierre-Paul Tellier MD Director, McGill Student Health Services Associate Professor, Family Medicine McGill University Personal Health Abroad

26. Getting Ready • Getting a physical and filling a form • Often required • Not paid by any provincial Medicare program or Blue Cross for international students • May include laboratory tests • Cost for physical • Cost for tests • Cost for filling form • Deal at Student Health • Get an appointment early • Not a priority for anyone except you! Doctors hate forms!

27. Getting Ready • Vaccines • Depends on country/ies to be visited • Know exactly where you are going • Some may have to be given a month or so before departure so plan accordingly • Same rule applies as for forms • Only a priority for you • All vaccines at Student Health • except • Japanese encephalitis • Rabies • At cost • Need nursing appointments • SSMU plan ($300.00/year)

28. Getting Ready • Medications • Traveler's diarrhea • Vaccine exists • Bismuth subsalicylate - Pepto-bismol (only if not allergic to aspirin) • Imodium • Antibiotics just in case • 1% hydrocortisone cream for rash • Antihistamine • Aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprophen • Antibiotic ointment • Malaria pills • Altitude sickness medication

29. Getting Ready • If you take medication • Make sure you have enough • Carry all medication in original bottles with original label from pharmacy • If syringes are needed make sure you have enough for entire trip – have certificate from doctor • Some OTC meds legal in Canada may not be in other countries • Contact embassy of country where you are travelling to make sure meds you are carrying are legal where you are going

30. Medical Kit • Previously mentioned medications • Sterile dressing • Insect repellant – DEET > 30% • Insecticide spray for clothes, camping gear and mosquito nets – Permethrin • Sunscreen > Spf 15 – water resistant • Thermometer • Disposable gloves • Syringes and needles • Mosquito nets • Portable water filter

31. Drugs • A no-no • Unless you want a jail cell to be your residence abroad • Be careful of your luggage • Pack your own • Don’t bring anything for anyone else

32. GLBTQ • Not everyone is open minded • Check the local regulations • Is it legal where you are going? • Being militant at home may be a good thing but not in another country • Amnesty International web site good source of information

33. On the plane or driving for long distances • Deep Vein Thrombophlebitis • Not common in young people but can happen • Drink plenty of fluid • Don’t sit for long periods • Walk around • Avoid alcohol, caffeine • May manifest up to 2 weeks after a flight • Seek medical advice • Pain and swelling of legs • Sudden chest pain • Sudden shortness of breath • Same applies for hemorrhoids – not as serious but sure a pain in the but!

34. Eating While There • Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it! • Best rules • Avoid salads or raw vegetables • Drink bottle water, filtered water, or treated water • Boil water • Clean filters with small pores • Chlorination may not be enough • Iodine-containing water purification tablets • Ice cubes are not in bottles • Hot recently cooked food • Wash hands before eating! Your mother told you to do this!

35. Diarrhea • Rehydration • Various solution but not simple water unless you eat something salty with it • Take the pepto-bismol, imodium or loperamide that you brought • Take your antibiotics • If • Last more than a week • Bloody • Fever • Seek medical attention

36. Heat Stroke • Wear loose fitting clothing, light color • Avoid prolong exposure to direct sun light • Certain medications may be a problem • Check before you leave • Alcohol is one of those • Drink fluids regularly • Heat stroke • faintness, nausea, vomiting, increased body temperature, headache, gooseflesh, chills, overbreathing, muscle cramps, unsteady gait • If you have these get medical help

37. Altitude Sickness • Can’t predict who will get it • Above 8,000 feet a concern • Climb slowly and acclimatize • May take 3 – 5 days start at 6,000 – 8,000 feet • Take acetazolamide (diamox) • No alcohol • Symptoms: headache, fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath, confusion, and more

38. Malaria Protection • Mosquito repellent • Early evening worse • Mosquito nets while sleeping • Take your pills!

39. Sex • Don’t have it • STIs • Pregnancy • At the very least use a condom!

40. Mental Health • Culture shock • Don’t underestimate it • If you are not coping talk to someone you trust

41. Coming Back • Don’t bring back anything you shouldn’t • Drugs • Endangered species • Diseases

42. Seeing a doctor when you come back • Diarrhea, stomach cramps • STI check – if had sex • If have unusual episodes of fever • Unusual rashes • Any thing else that is weird and that you are worried about

43. Resources • http://www.voyage.gc.ca • http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ • http://www.amnesty.org

44. Managing your Success Abroad Carla Jensen International Education Administrator Office of International Education McGill University

45. Participation in a pre-departure orientation. Approval by your academic unit or research supervisor. Completion of a travel registry form. Once your activity has been approved, a travel registry form will be created on Minerva. Find your travel registry Minerva or check with your Departmental or Faculty Student Affairs office for details. McGill Travel Guidelines

46. Students going abroad are required to complete the online Travel Registry which can be accessed via Minerva.