Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thewolf]

so, for those of you who attended the appointment was it by choice or because it was mandatory?

i'm going to get the specifics tomorrow. my co-worker claims if we fail to go to the appt, there is a 10 million won fine. that's just insane. her numbers have got to be off.

given a recent spate of unusual comments, suspicious stares and random terminations, i'm nervous (or just paranoid).

i am american and the thought of a free check-up is enticing, but the invasion of privacy is insulting.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[sojourner1]

2 of my co-FT's had a mandatory doctor appointment on a Saturday about a month ago. They said that after you have about 6 months in, you got to go for the checkup. No threats of fines or anything though. It simply is when vice director tells you, you got to go with her on a Saturday afternoon.

And they were not told until Friday afternoon, the day before! This would tick me off, but I would remain cool and simply tell her. "Oh thats too bad, I already made a promise to a friend and have plans for my weekend"

[Atavistic]

I had to have a health form done for my public school job.

It went like this.

Doctor (terrified to speak English): What's your immunizations?

Me: I'm immunized. I promise. My mom is a nurse. [smile]

Doctor: OK. [Writes "immunized."] How is your general health? Any health problems?

Me (think about some ongoing health problems that I know how to manage and that this guy is not going to have a clue about such as Raynaud's disease): Good. I do taekwondo five nights a week, play soccer sometimes.

Doctor: Taekwondo, huh? You like? What belt? [Chatter, chatter, writes, "healthy."] How is your mental health? Happy most days?

Me: Yep. I like Korea.

Doctor: OK, we do blood test.

Me: OK.

A week later, I got the blood test results.

Doctor: You have Hep A in past, but not now. OK, now.

Me: I had a Hep A vaccination, is that it?

Doctor (flustered): OK now, OK now!

Me: Gwenchanayo?

Doctor: Nay! And chest X-ray good.


Bam. There's your Korean medical check. Not a single question about my diet, drinking, smoking, drugs, sex, nothing.

Just find a doctor who's nervous to speak English and everything will be "OK now."

[jaderedux]

I am curious and this is purely curiousity. Why is having a mostly free physical such a big deal? I understand the privacy issue somewhat but holy cow everyone even you strapping young ladies and gentleman should have a physical now and again. It's cheap and things like high blood pressure and blood sugar problems affect all ages.

If they tell you have a problem I would get a second opinion from a place like Asan Hospital (Great foreigner clinic) Drug testing is mandatory in most companies in the states.

Insurance physicals are quite common.

Why would anyone voluntarly have a colonoscopy??? Because cancer sucks. I had one and don't need to really do one again for 2 years so I won't this year. Mammogram not much more fun for the same reason. You think b r e a s t cancer only happens to someone else? If you are female and sexually active you should have a pap smear. Makes good sense. And this is every two years. I go when I choose. They choose the hospital. They trundle me around doing this and that. They know I have white coat syndrome and check my blood pressure and freak out... Then look at my chart and I check at school now and again.

So why all the fuss. If you do only the mandatory tests it is damn near free. Yeah drug testing sucks. I don't think sparking up now and again is such a bad thing. Far better than drowning in vat of liquor every weekend but that is acceptable here. Right now there is a huge campaign on TV about not taking drugs. Students every year have eye exams, piss tests for drugs and blood sugar. Ht and Wt are charted. Hearing tests etc.

Nothing like a doctor sitting in your classroom and students standing there with dripping test sticks. Thankfully I don't go room to room anymore so they don't come to my classroom to do the checks.

The Korean teachers have to go in my public school every two years and so do I. I don't mind now that the report is sent to me. But the Nurses office does get it in the end and if the Principal or Vice Principal were to ask for it they could see it. This is Korea "uri nara" there is no I only the we and they don't get why we find this so unnerving and we don't get why they meekly hand over what ever info they want.

Jade

[TOMODACHI-KID]

What? A mandatory check-up with a doctor! No way man--very invasive, pal! You must have caused suspicion for your Hogwon boss to warrant this, eh? Still, that's just a no-no for your boss to do that.
When I worked at a Hogwon in Daegu, I was not obliged or forced to get a mandatory check-up. All my friends did not either, and they lived in Seoul!


If it is part of your medical coverage, it is a first because I never heard such a thing....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"JUST REMEMBER TO TAKE THE 5th WHEN BEHIND SOME METAL DOOR IN A SOGGY ROOM WITH A POLICE OFFICIAL!"

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Horangi Munshin]

[wylies99]

[jaderedux]

[Ryst Helmut]

Well, OP, did you/are you gonna do it?

!shoosh,

Ryst

[Horangi Munshin]

[regicide]

[willneverteachagain]

[xtchr]