First trip to the States

After getting your visa your next major hurdle is the packing regarding what to take to US on your first trip since everything looks important when you look at it. Initially I was very apprehensive about this trip because this was my first trip to the States and was scared of being profiled due to ethnicity. However my siblings and cousins told me that it is seen only in movies and not in reality and my god how true they are. People are extremely friendly to the point that even if you randomly meet a stranger and ask him for directions which are not in his path, he may not only guide you but might actually give a drop to that place. I was pleasantly surprised. 

Just a note before you start reading. This post is meant for people who like me are really worried about what to carry and what not. Also there may be a lot of grammatical errors in the post. Kindly ignore them and take what is required :) 

BEFORE FLYING

THINGS TO BUY & DO in India/ Home country

Hospital: Carry a decent number say 3-4 trousers, 5 shirts and 3 ties as these are allowed to wear at hospital. You can add sweaters too if you are going in winter or cold weather. One suit or blazer is enough, although I never used it but it differs from place to place. You usually wear an apron in the hospital, so you can use the suit in presentations or formal meeting or when asking for an LOR. Also a stethoscope and maybe even a torch

Apron/ Lab coats: Do carry two, since it is expensive to get a lab coat in the States. They are generally compulsory everywhere in hospital. For medical students like us, the style of lab coat is short waist length (just crossing your hips) and full sleeves. Better look at the HOUSE MD TV show to get an idea :P

Shoes: Plain black or brown shoes normal leather style is used. Do take an extra pair if you feel that it might break before going to the States.

Casual wear: Carry few jeans (2) and casual t-shirts (4) for roaming around the city. Good pair of sneakers.

Innerwear & socks: Buy at least 10 sets of them, coz you will not be doing your laundry every day, but usually weekly or even fortnightly.

Medicines & Stationery: I carried one packet of medicines (PCT, Cetirizine, Volini etc.). Do carry since they are very expensive and NOT OTC in the States. I highly doubt a prescription is needed unless you have a serious disease like asthma or DM and you would need to carry your medications on the flight.

Gifts from your country: Always take small tokens as gifts when you part with each of your mentors. People like them a lot and it indirectly tells them that you cared enough to bring them gifts all the way from home. Would advise taking small size items, nothing huge.

Miscellaneous stuff: Stationery, pens, soap, tooth paste brush and other daily items. Here’s a tip I got from someone, have a paper in your hand and write down things that you need to use daily so you don’t forget to take them when needed. Even though you have weight limitations it is always better to buy it cheap from India rather than buy the expensive stuff in the States.

Plugs & Convertors: Best is to buy a multi-convertor from India and an extension cord with multiple ports in order to use your laptop, cell phone charger (they generally have 110-220v on the adaptor.)

Food: Learn some basic cooking before coming which can help you to save a lot of money. Prepared food is expensive in USA, compared to eating at home, even if packaged. If you want to save money, try to have 1-2 meals every day at home. Finally try to meet all your ‘long distant relatives/long lost family friends’ in the nearby areas to satisfy your cravings for home cooked desi food. Trust me you will want to eat Indian food after a few weeks. I tried not to spend more than 10$ a day on food, either outside or at home.

Finances/ Cards: I used the ICICI bank travel card which gives you a good rate if you buy a minimum of 500 $ and goodies like travel insurance. Best is to ask the sales representative about the details of the card. They charge if not mistaken 150 bucks for the card and later no charges. I also bought a Thomas Cook multiple currency Card which is also decent. You can do the entire procedure online rather than visiting the agent since they charge an additional 250 bucks if you do it via the agent. The online version is cheaper and easier. Lastly bought a card from HDFC from the travel agent who was sweet enough to give me a decent discount on the rate since have been doing business with them for the earlier trips to Europe. (Trade Wings for the guys in Mangalore) PS - I am not being paid anything for this, but recommend them since they are really friendly.

FINAL PACKING:  You have to fit all the above into the following bags

·         Check-in baggage- 2 bags 23 Kgs each (50 pounds)

·         Carry-on bags -A laptop bag (1) and a small trolley bag (1).

In summary 2 check-ins plus 2 carry-ons equalling a total of 4. The carry-ons generally have a limit of 8 kgs and in general should be able to fit the overhead compartment of seats. Usually, any liquid, gel, knife, scissor, blade, shampoo or aerosol items are not allowed in the carry-on baggage; though one can carry all these in the checked in baggage. Generally they do not weigh the carry-ons, however once they had weighed my bag and even though it was a bit on the heavier side, the lady on the counter was courteous enough to allow me to check-in that bag for no additional charge J  

You will get your check in luggage at your FINAL destination, but always confirm with the person who checks it in where you would have to transfer or collect your baggage, since different airlines have different policies regarding that. Also at the counter they give you a baggage tag, THIS IS IMPORTANT at-least till you collect your luggage at the final destination, since if you do lose your luggage, god forbid you do, you will NEED THE TAGS. I also strongly recommend to write your name, address, contact number on a piece of paper and then paste it on all your bags. Sometimes, the bags gets lost and such information on bags helps airlines identify your baggage; the last thing you would like to have after landing in US, would be to get your bags lost!

AT THE AIRPORT:

Security checks in the airports: Before entering any gate/ lounge area for connecting flights, you have to go through security check again. You have to remove your belt, shoes, wallet, cell phone and any other metallic item. If you are carrying a laptop/ notebook, make sure you take it out of the laptop bag and put it separately in a tray without anything else in it. Note: You can carry an empty water bottle.

First of all, you pass your luggage and yourself through security check. Then you go to the counter of your airlines, show them your e-ticket/passport/visa, get your boarding passes and submit your baggage except the carry-ons. After that, you might have to pass through another security check and then through the immigration/visa officers. After that you enter the lounge go to the gate number mentioned on the boarding pass. When it is boarding time, they make an announcement and you board the plane. Make sure you are at the gate at the boarding time (generally 30-60 min before departure time).

Note you need a ROUND TRIP TICKET for entering into the States, else you will have to buy the return ticket then and there and it will NOT be to your liking. If you are unsure of your dates, it would be best to buy your tickets via a travel agent since you really do not want to have the additional burden of cancelling and rescheduling your tickets when you are in the States. Also in case you plan to buy stuff from the States like electronic stuff like a mobile phone or Laptop, better declare the stuff like the ones you carrying at India else you would have to pay a hefty price when you get them back.

BEFORE LANDING:

Customs: Before landing US, you are given a customs form in the flight. You have to mention the total worth of all your baggage, your name, passport number and other details on it. You have to submit your filled and completed custom form over there and then do a security check on your bags.

Visa Clearance at the Point of Entry: Once you reach US, stand in a queue with the other passengers and then wait for your turn to be called to the visa officer. There are separate queues for US Citizens, Green Card holders (US Permanent Resident), Immigrant Visas and Non-immigrant Visas; make sure you are standing the right queue (generally immigrant visa); look closely towards all the signboards before going towards any queue. It is always better to be in the start of the queue when de-boarding; you get free early and thus might be in time for your connecting flight.

Once your turn comes, the visa officer takes your passport, looks at the visa, takes a small interview (from where you are coming, why you are coming, when you plan to leave, who would be paying for your stay etc.) and stamps your passport allowing you to stay in US. Carry almost all copies of documents you carried for visa interview. Maximum duration on a B1/B2 visa is 6 months. Make sure you collect all your belongings, carry-on baggage and especially passport before leaving.

The things they always ask for is

1. Return ticket (vide supra)

2. Reason for travel (elective acceptance letters, CS confirmation letter etc.)

3. Place of stay in USA (carry an email or invitation letter with address, phone number of the person you staying with)

They may ask you stuff like what is an elective and stuff like that. So at times it may sound like a re-interview of the visa. But note that you are a medical student going for a US clinical experience/ CS exam and not a thief, be sure of what you say and be confident.

Collecting Baggage: Once cleared from visa, you now have to collect your checked-in baggage at the baggage claim area; follow the signboards to find the baggage claim area. You should have their tags with you all the time, which are provided to you when you checked/submitted your baggage and got boarding pass for your first flight. It’s convenient to have a cart to carry your baggage. Once you have the trolley look for the station number where your baggage would come, it is displayed on the monitors in the baggage claim area. Once identified, go there and collect your baggage. Once you have collected your bags you would have to your passport and visa to another person before proceeding towards the next flight. 

Connecting Flights: Once you have your bags, go towards the counter of your connecting domestic flight, show your passport and boarding pass, check in your baggage, you may have to show the baggage tags to them otherwise you will have to pay for baggage.

Remember, on domestic flights you have to pay for checked bags but if you have a connecting domestic flight as an international passenger, you don't have to pay for checked bags (if they are not over-sized or over-weight) and to prove that, you need to show your baggage tags. Once your baggage is checked in, you head towards the gate number of your connecting flight.

Generally it takes 2-4 hours to get cleared from customs, visa, collecting and checking in baggage and then reach the connecting flight gate. So it is advisable to have at least 4-5 hours of lay-over on your port of entry (first city you land in US). No meals are served on a domestic flight, so it is better if you eat something if you have a long connecting flight.

AFTER REACHING USA

Once you have reached your final destination, you head towards the baggage claim area, collect your baggage and go to your new home. Welcome to USA! Have a nice time! :D :P

Travelling from/to Airport: You can get a taxi if you live near to the airport. I recommend Super shuttle- It is way cheaper than the normal cab fare. They generally take $20-25 to take you from/to Airport from/to your place. You can make the booking and pay online but I recommend paying at the airport (PS- They may have a discount online, which reduces the cost). Usually they have a counter near the baggage claim area; just look around and you would find a Super shuttle counter (ROYAL BLUE COLOR). Tell them your destination, pay them and they ask you to write your name and contact number on a paper for them. Then you wait for 10-20 minutes and their shuttle arrives. It is a shared transport (like a minivan Eg- Big huge ass TATA SUMO/ Omni) and you might have to wait a bit to reach your place because the driver might drop other passengers before you. If the taxi cab/super shuttle driver (or a waiter at your hotel) is really helpful you can give him  a $1-2 tip. However it is NOT A MUST as I feel you are technically a student and not earning.

Residence: People find it difficult to find places to stay before visiting US for the first time. Though on-campus housing is the best/ safe it is not always available. People have said trying craigslist.org or airbnb.com can help. Never used them but it is wise to ask for the pictures of the room and the place and to confirm the total rent including all the utilities (including gas, electricity, water, internet etc.).

Google Maps: This tiny app is a life saver in the States. You can use it to get around places in the States. If you are selecting public transport, make sure you select the right time of travel, you will be provided with all the details e.g. bus number, route, stops etc.

Travelling within US- Frankly, people in the States generally do not use public transport very often. So you might have trouble finding local buses like you find in India. But always good to check on google maps before giving up hope.

Travel by air is the fastest and best I feel. If you book early (1 month in advance you can get good rates. You can also use an app called skyscanner and put a watch list) Airlines charge $ 25 for the 1^st checked in bag and $35 for the 2^nd which is a lot. You can try booking on Jet Blue or Southwest airways where they seem to have free checked in baggage, but the flight cost is equally expensive. So choose wisely!

Finances: Please note that for withdrawing there is an additional $2 charge per transaction. However if you use it while shopping i.e. swiping for payments they don't have any surcharge. Also a trick that I happened to stumble upon, while making purchases in the stores there generally is a cash back option, so just in case you happen to run out of cash, you can use this method to get up to $10 without any additional charges.

Cell phone: Please do not go by what people tell you regarding Sims and plans and stuff like that. I would advise you to go to the nearest supermarket store like Target or Walmart. They generally have a host of options. In my case I bought a sim card which was only $35 compared to the plans which the rest had to offer like 50$ or 60$ for T mobile or AT&T (H2O wireless- The plan details were unlimited calls and messages plus an additional 500 MB data, with an hour or so of international calling which was more than enough for my needs; since the hospital generally has guest Wi-Fi which is a KILL, and is unlimited with good quality speed) I mean the number is ONLY for people to contact you on an emergency basis and for fellows or residents to contact you in case there is an exciting new case so why spend a fortune on it?

Online calling / VoIP: There are a host of applications which can suit your needs. But I would say Google voice calling is the best. I initially had no number to call people, so I used it to make free calls. There is an app called Hangout dialler + which helps you to make calls via the phone. Skype has an offer called unlimited world calling and you get the first month free. This is a bogus I feel since if you do not ask for a refund before the month ends they charge you for the entire month regardless of whether you used the feature or not.

Lastly best of luck to all you guys. You will be awesomeJ

I had found the following sites very useful during my intial data gathering for my trip: http://umartariq.com/node/158 and http://www.umartariq.com/node/171

Additional info by Bhaumik Shah 

• For free call within US&Canada = MagicJack App ;
• backpage.com to check for shared accomodation & HostelWorld.com for hostels & cheap hotels for people who are visiting for a week or two; 
• Skype/Viber for India Calling if someone doesnt want to get US number..as it will save atleast 55 bucks...
• For food= Deep paratha ( paneer maratha & many more), Haldiram sabji, from Rumi's market or Patel Brothers or some local indian store...
• Look for a host who has bike(bicycle) if you want to save money for local transport specially when couple of miles away...or one can buy new bike(bicycle) which costs approx 70 bucks and then you can sell..