| Home | GRE and TOEFL | Appln process | Scholarships | VISA |
| Seniors | SOPs | Stat depts | Math depts | Econ depts |
| FAQ | Troubles | Things to take | USA map | Housing |
| Medical | Site map | Feedback |
But first some general advice from Apoorva Khare:
Get your eye and dental checkup done EVERY TIME you go to india - and before you come here of course (before you come here the first time). These two things are generally not covered in insurance here, and are really expensive, so...
The insurence plan for UCB students has dental coverage at no extra cost. Eye is not covered, but they give a 50% discount to students if they go to the school's medical centre; although I never tried it and don't know the actual cost. There are stores which offer free eye exam and two pairs of glasses for $100 or so, which is not very bad in emergencies. (I never tried it.) Plastic lenses are cheaper here compared to India, glass lenses are about 100 times costlier!
There are some other issues though. For common diseases like heartburn, ulcer and common allergies, it is advisable to bring some medication from India as even after the insurence coverage (80% of total cost), the price is about 50 times the Indian price. It is not so bad for more serious diseases, though. I have cholestorol problems and the medication for that is about 4 times costlier here compared to India (after insurence coverage).
It is always advisable to get a thorough check-up done in India before coming to USA, because the tests are costly and the doctors here always like to order detailed tests if they are unsure. If one has a problem, it is better to have it investigated in India; I had more than $150 worth inconclusive tests here before my family physician in Calcutta found out that my high blood pressure was due to cholestorol problems to put a stop to the bizzare tests I was being made to go through. At least the medical centre here does not have good doctors, and the insurence requires that to get any insurence coverage we have to go there first. So seeing a good doctor is almost impossible unless one is readly to shell out hundreds of dollars.
One can, of course, opt for other insurence companies. But finding a good one needs some amount of research which I never did.
as far as the vaccination is concerned I took MMR vaccine.And nothing else is required. As I was joining the medical school they say it is mandatory to take the Hepatitis Vaccine.But technically we do not have to as we are really working on ccomputers and are no where near diseases!But again this a special case for students coming from ISI.
and it is really necessary to have a dental and eye check up before coming!And ofcourse the extra pair of specs which you have already mentioned.
And I think it is not a bad idea to have a few basic medicine with oneself, like painkillers and things that are specific to an individual.
otherwise i think the insurance takes care of all the minor things that one needs.The vaccines are reaaly expensive in my university so it is advisable to have the required ones from India. But otherwise the insurance pays everything including the doctors fee(which some univs donot)and give a total refund of all the prescription medicine that is bought.
According to New York state policy all international students must have 2 dozes of measles vaccination and one each of mumps and rubella. If they can get it before they come (proof by bringing certificates), very good! if not, they will get some time after here to get it done from here. universities generally have such facilities, but as in columbia it costs 50$. But this can be obtained for free from Government clinics. in NYC, there is one in Brooklyn. one more line...if somebody has a record of measles (again, must be on a certificate), it is considered as 1 doze but he/she must still take another one to comply with state rules!
strange country, strange rules!
Cornell University (I guess that's the rule for NY state) sent me a form, which i had to get signed by my family physician. In that form he had to declare that i have taken all possible precautions. that's all I had to do for the health insurance in Cornell.
1) I had my MMR vaccine in India just before leaving and I didn't have to take any other vaccinations in the US. The doctor's certificate that I took the MMR vaccine was needed, to be given to the health center here at Rutgers.
2) And one little fact, TA's in Rutgers get free sttae insurance (you might want to include the dental insurance for a small extra amount). This doesn't apply for the students with a fellowship, who have to pay at least 300$ per semester to get their basic insurance.
