Health insurance is an absolute necessity for students, yet a surprising number of students, both studying medicine and other fields, rely on their university's student health care clinic rather than paying for insurance. In short, student health clinics suck. They really don't provide the coverage you need while at school.

• What is the maximum I would be covered for?
• What is the deductible?
• How much will this cost - and how does the cost change with different deductibles?
• What am I not covered for (for example, some insurance plans don't cover varsity or even intramural sports injuries)?
• Are there restrictions on which physicians I can use?
• Do I need a referral to see a specialist?
• What if I get sick or hurt while I'm traveling?
• Do I need pre-approval from the insurance company before I can go see a health-care provider?
• Am I covered as a graduate student, or is the restricted to undergrads?
• Does it provide for well-visits or healthy patient visits to a physician?

You should have a health insurance plan separate from the basic student clinic options. You're not likely to catch kleptomania from your clients in law school. In medical school, though, you are exposed almost daily to TB, HIV, and a host of other infectious diseases. You don't want to rely on the student clinic nurse to work up that differential diagnosis.

Also, a student insurance health plan is usually required if you're going to do a sub-internship away from your medical school.

Several insurance providers cater to students (istudentinsurance, for example); and college student health insurance programs are available in all states from a variety of providers. You should definitely shop around at more than one provider - prices and coverage can vary tremendously. If you've recently graduated, or intend to graduate in the near future, you should purchase individual medical insurance rather than student insurance.

If you intend to leave the US (or alternatively, come to the US) while you're a student, you'll need additional health insurance. Several companies specialize in travel medical insurance and international health insurance for students. The most prominent is International Student Insurance.