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What to Pack in Your Travel Medical Kit as a Student

Started by SarahStudiesAbroad · 10 juin 2025 · 9 replies · 📖 Read as Guide
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SarahStudiesAbroad
Pre-med student, studied in Senegal and Thailand
Joined: Oct 2019 Posts: 107
10 juin 2025 #1
After getting food poisoning in Dakar with nothing but ibuprofen in my bag, I rebuilt my travel medical kit from scratch for my second semester in Thailand. Sharing the complete list I now carry everywhere, organized by priority. Some of these items are genuinely hard to find in certain countries even at pharmacies.

Pour aller plus loin, découvrez destinations dog-friendly en France.

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BackpackerJake
Got food poisoning in Morocco
Joined: Jul 2019Posts: 22
June 14, 2025#2
ORS packets are the single most valuable item on this list. I had severe food poisoning in Marrakech and the rehydration salts kept me functional enough to get to a pharmacy the next morning. They weigh nothing. Pack them.
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WanderlustEmma
Exchange student in Bangkok
Joined: Feb 2020Posts: 157
June 19, 2025#3
The permethrin tip is legit. Treated my hiking pants and long-sleeved shirts before leaving for Thailand. Got fewer mosquito bites than friends who relied only on DEET repellent.
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OliviaOxford
British student, NHS travel clinic patient
Joined: Jun 2024Posts: 161
June 24, 2025#4
Book your NHS travel health appointment at least eight weeks before departure. Some vaccinations require multiple doses and antimalarials need to be started before you travel.
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MikeFromMichigan
American student in Japan
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 33
June 29, 2025#5
The controlled substance warning for Japan is critical. A classmate had his ADHD medication confiscated at Narita because he did not have the Yakkan Shoumei import certificate. Research this before you fly.
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RyanToronto
Canadian student, altitude sickness experience
Joined: May 2023Posts: 160
July 04, 2025#6
Took Diamox for a trek to Machu Picchu and the tingling side effect is real but manageable. Without it, two people in our group had to turn back at 3,800 meters.
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CamilleDuval
French nursing student
Joined: Jan 2019Posts: 128
July 09, 2025#7
The wound care section is important for tropical destinations. I saw multiple exchange students in Senegal with infected cuts that started as minor scrapes. Antiseptic wipes immediately after any skin break is the rule.
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AidanDublin
Irish student, pharmacy experience abroad
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 201
July 14, 2025#8
Confirming that using generic names at foreign pharmacies works perfectly. Asked for paracetamol and loperamide in Vietnam and the pharmacist understood immediately. Avoid brand names.
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JessicaBoston
Pre-med student, clinical perspective
Joined: Feb 2020Posts: 73
July 19, 2025#9
Students consistently wait too long before seeing a doctor abroad because they feel embarrassed or assume it will pass. A 30-minute clinic visit is never wasted if you are genuinely worried about a symptom.
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NatalieVancouver
Canadian student, prescription management
Joined: Apr 2022Posts: 111
July 24, 2025#10
Splitting prescriptions between carry-on and checked luggage saved me when my checked bag was lost for three days on a flight to Seoul. Simple precaution that makes a real difference.
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