Job Discussion Forums

[jmanders]

Hello all, I have been interested in teaching ESL for a number of years in China (or anywhere in Asia) and have actually met many people around the world during my travels who are in the field. Getting to the point, I just have one question for those of you who have had to get 'physical examinations' when arriving for the job in China. Is there anything that necessarily disqualifies a person for teaching? I am perfectly healthy, although I have some considerably large tattoos on my torso; none of which are visible unless I actually have my shirt off, or if I'm wearing a shirt that is a tank-top or that sort of thing (something I wouldn't wear in a professional setting in the first place.). I'm just wondering since in my own experience I have always covered up my tattoos when traveling in Asia, and I lived in Hangzhou/Shanghai for some time back in 2004. Any thoughts? Also sorry if this has been asked before, I searched through previous threads and couldn't find out much about this situation. -Joseph

[Non Sequitur]

You'll have to take off your top for chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound.
It is such regimented process (or at least my last one was), with maybe 50 FTs in the clinic at the same time, that I don't think the examiners will be too worried.
You cannot be the first one in this situation by far and if it had been an issue I expect it would have surfaced on Dave's.
Also the school has so much invested in you and most likely you've started classes, that they don't want to disrupt things.

[Denim-Maniac]

You'll be fine. I have a largish tattoo on my back (4 hours of outline) and it didnt disqualify me from working here.

[roadwalker]

The question is about tattoos, not physical exams. Maybe that's why you couldn't find it. Tattoo questions pop up every few months it seems. Consensus is that there are jobs to be had for teachers with tattoos. Discretion is probably more necessary in some areas than others. At least one FT at my uni has visible tats.

[Toast]

Don't worry your boss won't be standing in the room watching while you get your gut ultrasounded and chest x-rayed....will likely just be you and the doc or nurse....unless you're in a third tier city, in which case it may be you, the doc, the nurse, their families, pooing babies, chickens....but the boss will still likely be sitting outside chatting to her high school classmates about their favorite color on qq or wechat.

For what it's worth I was still wearing a t-shirt, sweater and coat when they did my chest x-ray. No one seemed too concerned.

[johntpartee]

[Toast]

Might depend on the tatt too, I guess. If it's an Aryan Brotherhood style swastika, or the Dalai Lama moonwalking on the Great Wall or something you may have to think of some kind of story..

[jmanders]

Wow, thank you for all the responses. No, no its nothing vulgar or anything that is on my body. I have a big (around 12 hour) piece on my chest of the Kaminarimon lantern done in Irezumi type style. I also have some traditional style tattoos, but all are artistic in nature. Come to think of it, even when walking around the U.S. or Canada I rarely wear clothing that would even give off the idea that I am tattooed. One of the only times I ever had a problem was walking on the beach in Kamakura.

Again though, I don't even give off the notion of being tattooed since I refuse to get anything done on visible parts of my body. I could imagine that it would be in some areas of Asia. Other than that I wouldn't have any issues passing a normal physical check.

[jmanders]

[Non Sequitur]

[roadwalker]

[DosEquisX]

[Non Sequitur]

..or the students commanding the tanks to go back on Tiananmen Sq.

[U99A]

Is there a vision test? I'm friggin blind.

[roadwalker]