Job Discussion Forums

ssjup81 · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: Medical Check up

Hi everyone. I know I'm going to have to get the medical check up soon, but the thing I need the most information on is the mandatory, seemingly, chest x-ray.

Has anyone ever had this done and what exactly should they be looking for to rule out. The first thing that came to mind for me was TB. All it said for the medical check thing is that I need to get a chest x-ray done to make sure I have no infectious diseases. I'm curious as to which ones, or is it just one of those basic tests that cover everything?

Deep Thirteen · Joined: 23 May 2009 Posts: 39 Location: East Sea Japan

Thanks for posting. I had a similar title thread come to mind last night, although it's pertaining to something else. I hope it's not too rude to ask about it in here along with your question.

The chest x-ray is for TB. You can do a PPD (Mantoux) skin test for it or the x-ray. Skin test is cheaper and easier I think. I went back after two days and the doctor gave me a signed paper saying the test was negative. The doc said if it had a positive, they would have done x-rays to determine more.

My question was pertaining to the BoE medical check (directed at current or former ALTs). What does this entail?

ssjup81 · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 3:50 pm Post subject:

I was actually scheduled to get a PPD test done this past Tuesday, but canceled it to make sure it'd be acceptable to use that as opposed to a chest x-ray like the requirement said. I guess it should be okay, as long as the doctor that performs the test writes out that my result was negative...

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:19 pm Post subject:

The skin test is fine. No need for the chest xray unless your results don't show a normal reaction (most people come up slightly positive because of BCG vaccination many of us had as a child).

The health check in country normally consists of height, weight, blood pressure, a chest xray, a urine test (for sugers, I believe) and some standard health check questions from a doctor. I didn't have any blood drawn and haven't heard of any recent ALTs having had any needles either.

OneJoelFifty · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 463

I got my chest x-ray done the other day, took twenty seconds and I was in and out of the hospital in under five minutes.

They're going to send the results to my GP, at which point he's going to try and charge me �90 for the blood and urine tests that took him thirty seconds, and writing that I'm healthy on a piece of paper. I'm going to tell him to do one.

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:56 am Post subject:

I still don't understand why the TB check is causing people such a nightmare in the UK.

I had a Mantoux skin test. It was free. And had the results come back abnormal, the follow up xray would have been free too. It didn't involve my GP at all. Your local TB authority is in charge of these things and you are supposed to get appointments through them (even for appointments at your local hospital).

And @OneJoel:
Why did you have the blood and urine test? Were you asked to by your employer?

ssjup81 · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 2:54 pm Post subject:

Lucky for you. Neither is free here. I forgot how much the PPD was going t be, but it was relatively cheap. I don't even want to imagine how much the x-ray would cost without insurance. ><

Deep Thirteen · Joined: 23 May 2009 Posts: 39 Location: East Sea Japan

Thanks for the information sek, just the person I was looking for actually Very Happy

My PPD test cost $30.

OneJoelFifty · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 463