Resident Travel Requirements

It is the policy of the UNC Office of Global Health Education (formerly OIA) and Graduate Medical Education that all residents and fellows undertaking global health travel must complete pre-travel requirements and receive both OGHE AND GME approval a minimum of four weeks prior to your departure date from the U.S.  Residents who do not complete pre-travel requirements by that 4-week pre-travel deadline will not be permitted to travel or receive UNC funding or education/research time. 

For questions regarding the OGHE requirements, contact Shay Slifko.
For questions regarding the GME requirements, contact Kathryn Hill.

OGHE/UNCH Requirements

Complete the online travel health/evacuation insurance form. Once you register your travel dates with the OGHE by completing the online GeoBlue insurance form, the OGHE will respond within one week with an email granting you access to the Sakai course module and quiz, a link to pay your balance for the Geo Blue travel insurance and reiterating SOM/GME pre-travel requirements. (Please allow 7 business days to process the insurance form before emailing the OGHE).

Within 7 business days of registering your global program with the OGHE by submitting the GeoBlue online form, you will receive an email from the OGHE with the total amount you owe and the online payment link to purchase Geo Blue travel insurance. The GeoBlue daily cost is $1.45. You will not receive the email instructing you to print your ID card until your registration information to GeoBlue is sent (which depending on your travel dates can range up until one week prior to departure). The emails are generated by Geo Blue since they have unique certificate #s. Please expect a few weeks before you receive the link to print your insurance card. Check your spam/junk file as sometimes they will land there.

Please wait until AFTER you receive the email from GeoBlue to print your ID card for your UNC travel to purchase your before/after coverage for personal travel. If you obtain the before/after coverage prior to Janet Hoernke uploading the coverage, we can’t process your request.

UNC/H resident physicians (and fellows or subspecialty residents under GME) must go through either Occupational Health Services (for hospital-paid residents/subspecialty residents) or University Employee Occupational Health Clinic for the required pre-travel medicine appointment prior to all official UNC global travel per the UNC GME Policy on International Rotations (see below). All UNC/H residents (and fellows under GME) traveling internationally are required to see Occupational Health Services or University Employee Health Services 6 weeks prior to departing the U.S. to receive your pre-Travel Medicine Appointment (e.g. travel vaccinations and prophylactic medications recommended by the CDC). Failure to secure an appointment with OHS within a minimum of 4 weeks from your departure date will unequivocally result in official residency elective travel being prohibited. This service is provided at no cost to the Resident or Fellow.

  • Hospital-paid Residents/Subspecialty Residents submit the COMPLETED OHS Pre-Appointment Form for Traveling Residents via email to Angie.Schmidt2@unchealth.unc.edu. You will receive a confirmation email that this form has been received. Once the form has been reviewed by Occupational Health, you will be contacted with an appointment date and time. Please note: Appointments will not be scheduled same day and generally will not be scheduled that same week due to previous standing appointments. Failure to secure an appointment with OHS within a minimum of 4 weeks from your departure date may result in official residency travel being prohibited.
  • University-paid Residents/Subspecialty Residents should go through the University Employee Health Services and should complete the online Travel Immunization form, and fax to UEOHC at 919-966-6337 after which you will be contacted to schedule an appointment.

Download CDC-recommended Mobile apps for vaccines, packing lists, and what not to eat while abroad

The UNC Registry allows the University to track and communicate with UNC travelers -while they are abroad -quickly and easily in the event that an emergency occurs in the country in which they are studying, practicing, or working.

Instructions to register your trip in the UNC Global Travel Registry are as follows:

  1. The first time you log into the Registry, it takes you to the page called “My Contact Info.”
  2. On that page, you must confirm your name, PID number, status, and preferred email. Also on that page, do NOT select the country and city from the drop down windows on the My Contact Info page, which is ONLY for permanent assignments.
  3. Instead, proceed to the “Travel Plans” page to correctly add your trip.
  4. For extended travel (i.e. Extended Fellowships), it is now possible to select “stationed country” and not beginning/end date.

Register with the UNC Global Travel Registry

Once the OGHE processes your international emergency health insurance request, the OGHE will send you an email verifying your total cost and simultaneously you will receive a separate email notification from Sakai giving you access to UNC Resident Global Health.

Watch the required Resident Global Health Pre-Travel Module and complete the subsequent quiz. The login password for the quiz is revealed during the module lecture.

Code of Conduct

Register your travel dates with the U.S. Department of State.This will alert the United States Department of State to your presence in your travel location and will allow you to receive timely alerts and warnings before and during your travel dates.

Read and Print (2 copies) the UNC Emergency Plan for Resident Physicians during international travel. Leave one copy with a family member in the U.S. Save a backup on email or Google Drive.

Submit the evaluation of your international rotation to us, no later than 30 days, after your trip. This is to be downloaded and submitted in the same online Sakai course where you watched the module. This is an assessment of the global program.

GME Required Forms

Forms must be completed, signed and returned to the GME Office

UNC Residents International Rotation Policy – Overview of requirements, PDF sample of forms. Sections V and VII.C. refer to the resident reporting to Occupational Health Services before and (if necessary) after travel.

Letter of Agreement between UNC Health Care System and Host Institution – Template for letter mentioned in Section III of above rotation policy. Each traveling resident is required to obtain the signatures of their UNC program director and host site (the host site signature must come from the onsite preceptor or person who will be present to supervise the resident) and sign and return to the GME Office. GME will then obtain the signature of UNC Hospitals Vice President.

Voluntary Participation and Assumption of Risk Agreement – Note that in Section 3. the “issue date” refers to the U.S. Department of States’ destination-site issued travel risks. No notary or witness required. Residents sign the form and leave the signature section for the UNC Health Care System blank and submit to the GME Office. GME will obtain the necessary signature.

Special Projects Professional Liability Form – Required for all away rotations to be insured for professional liabilty coverage, obtain signature of residency program director and return to the GME Office. GME will obtain the signature of UNC Hospitals Vice President and Chair of the Liability Insurance Council.

Letter from Program Director for Non-Clinical Away Rotations – Only required if your rotation does not involve any direct patient care.

Resident Physician Global Health Elective End of Elective Assessment by On-Site Supervisor – Supervisor completes and resident returns to Resident’s Program Coordinator or Program Director