Job Discussion Forums

[rolander]

Hello,

I tried posting on the Korean forum but couldn't. Hope this ? here doesn't rankle Mr. Sperling et al.

Diapers, how much do they cost in Korea? And do they come in the same sizes available in N.A (big baby; think "pooping tree").

Related question: should I be concerned about our boy contracting diphtheria or any other "ia"? That's a bit of a weeny question, and I wouldn't have thought of asking it before having him, but now everything worries me. It's sick.

Relatedly related: what are the health emergency services like in the smaller cities/town in K? Here's a hypothetical: we're in Somethingsan, popluation 5,000, junior breaks--no, no,no,no--a leg. Knowing that cities and towns vary widely in terms of health services, I nonetheless wonder how long it would take before he could get treated (a general answer for a general question would be just fine; shoot away if you're so inclined)

Again, didn't want to post this here, but couldn't in the K forum for some reason whose mystery haunts me even as I type.

Thanks,

Rol

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

You need to register separately for the Korean Job Forum. I would suggest you email [email protected] and indicate your desire to join that forum. Good luck.

[hellsbells]

You can't register for the Korea forums until August 23rd. Not sure why - but I've had the same problem and tried emailing Dave too...

[tedkarma]

I don't know about diapers - and am on vacation right now so can't check for you. However, my opinion is that health care in Korea is poor at best and terrible at worst.

Misdiagnosis is common - many hospitals are filthy - and . . . I could go on but won't. Will give you an example of care instead.

I had a friend hospitalized for a serious back problem for two weeks - they laid him on a plywood board - Rx? Red wine, golf, and get married. No therapy. The hospital was filthy. No soap in the bathroom. No toilet paper in the bathroom. Nurses often refused to empty his bedpan. The food? God forbid . . .

Another friend and I had to ask for and change his bed sheets as the nurses never did - as well as for fresh towels.

Sadly, I don't this this is unusual.

ANd, my friend - now - is pretty sure that the diagnosis was wrong.

Draw your own conclusions for your own child - I'm sure others will tell you better stories - but I would probably leave the country and go to Thailand if I had a serious ailment.

[rolander]

Thanks hellsbells and Mr. Kalgukshi for the tip. Wasn't aware of that. I don't get the rationale behind the multiple registrations either, but what I know about forums and forum-making is wanting.

TedKarma, interesting anecdote. Helps flesh out the bigger picture, I should think. "Red wine, golf, get married"? Now that's funny (I guess your friend didn't get it, though; neither would I in his shoes).


Filthy, soapless, misdiagnosing hospitals--nice. Mind you, misdiagnosis is, I think, common everywhere, since all docs are loathe to admit uncertainty. Professionalization means their taught to perceive themselves as infallible, lest face be lost. The relationship to the patient is one of domination/subordination. They're taught--really--to never shrug their shoulders and say, "hell if I know; looks bad, though"; because the whole kit and caboodle depends on people having faith in their authority. Lotsa folk give up the ghost for the consequences of that particular kind of sanctification. Red wine, golf and marriage might sound, and might very well be, ridiculous for the problem your friend had, but I'm curious as to what treatment he would have received in the west. Sometimes physiotherapy doesn't amount to much more than something like "golf". Add red wine for pain (rather than painkillers), and marriage for perspective, to show him that things could be worse. On the other hand, I take it that you mean problems readily resolved in the west can become serious over there. Filthiness is especially worrisome, and I wonder about the average waiting time for emergencies. Food? Well, that's what friends are for. No toilet paper is tough to get around, though. I hope the doctors at least have access to some...it's weird: how can teachers roll in won while hospital's don't have a roll?

Interesting advice, too. So you advocate for Thai hospitals. If leaving the country for treatment, wouldn't Japan then be the better choice? And to what extent would out-of-country medical services be covered by Korean (or Canadian?) insurance?

Thanks for the present (and any future) input.

Rol

[Scott in Incheon]

First, about the nurses...it isn't really their job to do the changing of sheets or bedpans...not in Korea...your family is supposed to do that and in lieu of family you are suppose to hire someone to do that sort of work.

Strange, but that is the way it is...my daughter was in the hospital for three weeks after she was hit by a car...so we did all this sort of thing and met the women who were hired to do it...

Misdiagnosis...I agree here...docs seem to go for the worst case scenario and treat that and then hope that anything less lethal will be cure along the way...

When we went in it was pins and skin grafts...but in the end it was a cast and no problems with her skin (big wound on her foot...most of the skin lost in one area)

Diapers...we buy them...big ones available..price..funny can't remember...you can buy them in bulk at costco...too far for us...a little longer and we won't need them

[rolander]

Hi, Scott. I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter's accident. Knock thrice it wasn't worse. I would have found that a pretty scary time. You hear "hit by a car" and think it all over.

My wife and I are making a conscious effort to let go of our fear regarding junior. We realize that part of our concern centres on the ethnocentric, hardly conscious idea that N.A is superior in most ways. Thing is, we know it's not, but it's hard to get away from that kind of thinking.

Since I've your ear: you mentioned key money in a post to me. 15 to 50 won is the possible range you provided. Our quaint bank account tells us that even the lowest figure's a preclusive snubbing. Are there no exceptions to the key money rental system? Why is key money so expensive in the first place? I mean, that's prohibitive. If we couldn't arrange for family space through the employer, and ponying up the key fund was the only alternative, I don't see how we'd be able to go.

Rol

[Scott in Incheon]

Key money is often put down in lieu of rent. So with the highest key money you don't pay any rent...and you get the money back when you leave but while your landlord has it, he can use it to invest or whatever. Most of these leases are for two years I think...

You might be able to pay straight rent...but then you pay quite a bit per month...you school might provide you with a housing allowance but you can't bank on that. They might be able to meet you half way by putting up key money on a bigger place but you pay any rent...

Your best bet is to make adequate housing part of your job search and try to find a school that will accomdate your family. Not sure how successful you will be.

[waygukgaijinhaole]

Scott is right - family cleans the sheets and sometimes feeds the hospitalized folks.

There's no soap or TP anywhere(that's an exaggeration). No different in hospitals. Just make a habit of carrying your own TP and a squirt bottle of anti-bac soap. I do and especially would if I had a kid here.

Similar story to Scott's - Friend hurt his hand in a fight (that's another story), went to the hospital. They told him he needed surgery immediately or he would never have feeling in his pinky finger. He refused and left. He went the next day to a doctor's office. The doc "set" it, it had been broken and dislocated, without anesthetic and wrapped it in a soft cast. He's totally fine now.

Just always get a second opinion. And you can't worry too much. You gotta live your life. Anything could happen anywhere. Most of the experiences I've had with medical & dental professionals in Korea have been just fine.

...and as much as I think it's gross and third-world not to wear gloves when giving vaccinations or use the same pair of scissors on 5 different haircut clients...I've never gotten lice here, never had an infection from a medical procedure and always gotten better from whatever they've given me as meds.

If I were living in a small town in Korea and got sick...I would not go to Thailand for treatment, I'd go to Seoul.

[rolander]

Hey, Scott

The key money deal fascinates. Let me understand this: if I had (what to me is a) huge sum of money, I'd be able to live rent-free, in an apartment of my choice? A neat concept. I'd go for it if poor(ish) were we not. You say that "straight rent" is expensive, so the only alternative would be the one you solidly advised: make suitable housing part of the job search. Thanks for the information. I was unaware.

Salute, Scott.




waygukgaijinhaole,

Firstly: curse your "I had to scroll down twice to write it" moniker.

Secondly: "you can't worry too much. You gotta live your life. Anything can happen"-- that is sage advice-truth; something at the end of a Keats poem; buddhism, relativism, alcoholism, and a touch of existentialism to round it out. No, really, you're right as far as we see. We've become far too strung over things that, prior to our kid's birth, would never have occurred to us. But we're doing our best to follow the chi.

I see what you mean about getting a second opinion. That's an important thing to remember because it's something I normally wouldn't do. I wonder how many TEFLers could tell of an experience such as your friend had.

Ultimately the state care system in Korea won't prevent our going, but it doesn't hurt to get the sense of it. Thank you for the post.

Cheers

PS: Canadians don't get fancy bone-mending. We just let them heal natural-like. Twisted joint please us. Canada: it's not just bacon and hockey anymore. Give us a visit.