Suggestion List

Packing to move to another country is never an easy task. But packing to move to Dominica to begin MEDICAL SCHOOL is an extreme challenge. Although this is just a suggestion list, we hope that it might give you a better idea of things that are necessary to bring with you. Of course, you will NOT be able to fit them all in your suitcases, so you will have to prioritize or arrange shipping. The welcome packet should have the address and shipping info. Shipping is usually pretty safe and can be somewhat reasonable (depending on where you live of course!) Shipping can take up to six weeks to arrive in Dominica, but may take much less time. Customs will charge you for all items, but the costs are usually very minimal unless you are shipping electronics or large quantities of food.

Keep in mind that you will be able to find most of what you need on Dominica, but things will likely be 3-4 times as expensive as in the States.

Household items
Bathroom items/medicine cabinet
Recreation
Study/lab materials
Clothing
Food and snacks
Phones and communication

Household items:

A high powered flashlight ( power goes out & you will need it to study and walk home at times – you will probably be given a small one at orientation)
A battery operated clock/alarm (power goes out) – many students just use their cell phones and watches as an alarm
Candles- you can buy basic stick candles here, but they are not scented
Unfitted sheets for your bed (bed sizes vary from apt. to apt. and aren’t always the same size as ours). Many apt. come with bedding- but it’s nice to have your own!
Laundry items- although you can buy these here for pretty cheap, and you will most likely send your laundry out, so you don’t need detergent. Most places will use some sort of fabric softener, and generally do an ok job. Plan to spend at least $5 (US) per load, depending on the size. You may want to bring a laundry bag, though you can find them here
Teflon pan and a good chef’s knife if you plan to cook – both can be found here, but of VERY poor quality
Various size batteries for your various essentials (don’t forget unusual sizes for calculator or cameras); batteries are quite expensive here
U.S. stamps—you can mail them through admin and it will get to the States in 3 days instead of 3 weeks!
Umbrella- bring a good heavy-duty one if you have room. It will rain- A LOT and it is also good to have for shade from the sun. You will be given a free one when you register, but it is not the best quality and will likely break.

Bathroom items/medicine cabinet:

Towels/rags (most apt. don’t come with these; those sold in stores here are of poor quality). Don’t forget a beach towel!
Vitamins or any medications you take (the drugs down here are sometimes different strengths than in the States, and brand name drugs can be hard to get)
MOSQUITO REPELLENT!!!
SUNBLOCK!!!
Toothpaste- they have a Colgate factory, so that is available and reasonably priced, but if you prefer other brands, you may want to bring your own
Toothbrushes- same as toothpaste…
Dental floss
Bath soap—especially if you like a certain kind
Lotion etc. They have some brands, but you may not find your brand here or else it will be extremely expensive
Shampoo/Conditioner- same story as lotion and soap…
Contact solution – it is very expensive here!
Shaving items – can be found here, but again, these things may be pricy

Recreation (you will need to take time off once in a while!):

Cards or any games to relax and get your mind off things!
DVDs (be careful if you have these shipped to you – customs sometimes likes to charge a high amount for electronics and media)
Sports equipment – there is a tennis, basketball, volleyball court as well as a football/soccer field on campus, and equipment can be borrowed from the SGA lounge; bring your own equipment if you like to have your own stuff, and remember that sports equipment, such as tennis balls, cleats, etc., are very expensive and hard to find. Scuba/snorkeling equipment can be rented through the local dive shop, but you may want to bring a pair of goggles/mask.
Books (just in case you get sick of reading about biochem, etc.). The library does not carry many non-medical/science books.

Study/lab materials:

Your laptop with a wireless card (some people also bring a router and share with apts. next door to cut expenses of DSL…)
Very large binders for your notes (you get LOTS of them!!!!), though they are available at local stores for a little more than you would pay in the US.
Blank CD’s
CD holder (black case type works great!)
Flash drive to easily download and store files between school and home – this is ESSENTIAL!
Pens/pencils/highlighters etc. – they are expensive in the bookstore here
Stapler/staples, hole puncher (the library has these, but everybody uses them and it’s nice to have at home)
A lock for your locker at school (combo or key is fine)
A tape recorder and blank cassettes if you feel you need to tape classes, although the school is starting to tape lectures and post them on the campus server – check with the school to see if they will be continuing this trend
Dry erase markers (you can get a whiteboard in your room for studying- many apartments already have these, or you can use them at the library/PBL rooms)
Bookholders for studying- plastic ones are better than the metal ones- your neck will get sore from too much reading!
A white labcoat for your White Coat Ceremony and for later semesters; or you can buy one from the bookstore when you get here or from a student
Scrubs- for comfort and for anatomy lab – bring at least 2 pair (they are expensive at the bookstore)
latex gloves for dissecting- they are VERY expensive in the bookstore
A walkman/mp3 player(earphones are especially useful; the library and other common study areas can be distracting at times – some people use noise-reducing headphones that play a constant stream of white noise)
Writing paper- you will get lots of handouts/packages, but it’s nice to have for your own note-taking (and some professors notes aren’t the greatest)

Clothing:

Sandals- more than one pair!!! (They will break and get worn out)
COMFORTABLE SHOES!!!!!!!! You will probably be doing lots of walking plus there are hiking trips, etc where you will need them. As for girls, some wear heels, I don’t know how, but they do… you will more likely be in comfy sandals most of the time and shoes take up a LOT of space.
Casual summer type clothes—1st semester is not formal; you will have the white coat ceremony where you will want to wear something nice; also bring some nice things for going out. Plus, be aware that your laundry service may and most probably will ruin at least one thing you bring, so don’t bring your favorite, most expensive items.
Sweater or light jacket and a pair or two of long pants to wear in the classrooms- it can get very cold inside
Sunglasses
Hats- for shade from the sun!

Food and snacks:

Wholesale items are great for this and you will definitely need them!!!!!! Groceries are pretty expensive here, so if you are shipping, send these! Plus, they do not offer a great variety of things we are used to in the US, and when they do get shipments, their stock is quite variable. They do have chips sometimes (Lays, Sunchips, Doritos…), microwave popcorn, etc., but these things are very expensive as are any brand name cookies or candy. The bookstore carries all of this- but is quite expensive.

As far as the rest of the food here, there is a “food court” called the SHACKS that has several small stands that sell meals for reasonable prices. They mostly consist of chickenand beans, pizza, mexican, and there are a couple now selling hamburgers, fries, rice, vegetarian meals, etc. You will hear many stories about “shack attacks” to your stomach, but most of the students eat there for lunch and dinner. There are 3 Chinese restaurants close to campus, another pizza place and Indian restaurant. They do deliver. These are all across the street from campus or very close to it. There is also a more “American” style place called The Tomato that serves salads, sandwiches (including hamburgers) and mainly Italian dishes. They also serve the local beer, Kubuli, on tap, and it is really good! There are a few other slightly more upscale restaurants in Picard/Portsmouth, such as Sisters Sea Lodge, Big Papas, Blue Bay, and the restaurant at PBH (Picard Beach Hotel). Enjoy!

Also, a SUBWAY opened up March, 2006 on campus. The prices are slightly higher than in the US, but the quality, variety and service are the same.

Phones and communication:

You can get a cell phone down here. They usually have sales for incoming students (although there will be very long lines). You can even bring your cell phone from the US and just purchase a new sim card, and then prepay for minutes. A lot of people make long distance calls through the internet using sites such as Yahoo or Skype (www.skype.com – it is free to call between computers, and about 2 or 3 cents to call a US landline). If you plan on doing this, you will need to bring a microphone along unless you have an internal mic. You will also need to sign up for high-speed internet, which costs a little over $50 US per month.

Once again, these are just SUGGESTIONS, but hopefully it will give you a better idea of what to bring with you/have shipped.

I hope this list is helpful and if you have any other questions or need clarifications, feel free to e-mail info@islandthrift.com.

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