Get ready to go!

¡Hola, qué gusto verte!

Welcome to the Get ready to go! page for the 2027 McGill Panama Field Study Semester. The content on this page is necessary to prepare you for your departure in January, so read it carefully.

You should also review the Panama 2027 Student Handbook here to prepare yourself for the program.

Mandatory Pre-departure Sessions

Attendance is mandatory for all pre-departure sessions. Unless otherwise noted, all sessions will take place in Room 650 - 2001 McGill College Ave.

In case of a serious scheduling conflict or emergency, notify Dr. Julie Major. Failure to do so may constitute grounds for dismissal from the program.

Important Information

Read the information below carefully to prepare you for the mandatory tasks that you must complete to participate in the program.

Winter 2027 Program dates

Start date: TBD

End date: TBD

Program Payment Instructions

You must make all payments by specific deadlines outlined below in the Mandatory Tasks section. For details on how program payments are made, see the Program fees page. 

To check the charges to your account and payments you have made, consult the Account Summary by Term in Minerva.

Funding Applications

Identify and submit applications for funding (Various deadlines. Find more information on our Funding page).

Passport Verification

Verify that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the end of the program and order a new one if that is not the case.

Visa Verification

If you are not a Canadian citizen, confirm whether Panama requires residents of your country to apply for a visa. If so, proceed with a visa application.

Booking a Physician Appointment

Book your physician appointment ASAP if you have not already done so (see the forms required below in the Medical tasks section of the Mandatory Tasks listed below). You can also contact the Wellness Hub here to schedule an appointment with a physician there.

McGill Health Services

McGill University is committed to ensuring an environment free from abuse, exploitation, harassment, and all forms of misconduct. Do not hesitate to reach out to the Director of your program if you have any issues. You can also see here which telehealth services you can use while abroad.

Insurance Requirements

Confirm that your insurance covers you appropriately for the semester, that it can be extended if you decide to stay abroad after the end of the semester, and that it includes:

Personal travel medical insurance with a minimum $1,000,000.00 CAD coverage is required to participate in the program. This can be difficult to get in Europe. It might therefore be a good idea to exceptionally get the McGill insurance this year.

Medevac coverage refers to emergency air ambulance services that transport clients from the site of a medical emergency to the nearest hospital equipped to provide the necessary treatment.

Emergency health coverage.

Read the exclusions of your insurance attentively. Pre-existing medical conditions might not be covered as well as specific activities including some sports. For example, the McGill insurance is very specific about the conditions in which scuba diving would be covered. Insurances are not all the same, so you may need to call different insurers to ensure that you are covered according to your own specific needs.

McGill Student Insurance - Canadian students

Canadian students are covered under their respective student society’s Health and Dental Plan: Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) or Macdonald Campus Students' Society (MCSS). These plans include travel insurance for academic study abroad programs, but you must still contact StudentCare to let them know where you will be travelling and during which dates. Be sure to review the travel section of your plan carefully. You can find links to each plan here.

McGill Student Insurance - International students

International students are covered under the McGill International Health Insurance Plan through International Student Services. To ensure coverage during the field study program, you must make a request for extended International Health Insurance through the International Student Service's (ISS) International Health Insurance Portal. Do NOT contact Medavie Blue Cross for this information, as the request must always go directly through ISS.

Mandatory Tasks

Complete all the mandatory tasks below by their respective deadlines.