Korean Job Discussion Forums

[venus]

[periwinkle]

[Bramble]

I've been to a few Korean doctors for various complaints and haven't experienced any rudeness from them. I haven't spent tons of time talking to them, though, and generally prefer to stay away from doctors as much as possible.

OTOH, I once went to a really horrible doctor in Canada when I was still in university, and she basically turned me off the medical profession. (OK, I didn't exactly care for the institution of modern medicine to begin with, but that experience fed my hatred.)

[LateBloomer]

I have been to more doctors in just over a year here than I have in the past 20 years (six I think). I didn't find them to be rude. In fact one of them, a busy surgeon, was the kindest, most caring man you could ever imagine. Like doctors in Canada, some seemed more technically competent than others. (I think one of them got his degree in the Korean equivalent of a corn flakes box....but I've had similar thoughts about Canadian doctors) As other people have said, a couple of doctors were uncomfortable when asked questions. And some struggled with English.

Im in Incheon and what bothered me the most was the total inability of hospital support staff to speak any English, especially at Gill Hospital, a large and internationally known teaching hospital. There wasn't even someone who spoke English at the foreigner information station. And I couldn't make appointments over the phone without getting a Korean to
help me. Don't know why they go to the pretense of having an English website beyond their location and phone number. Yes, I do know. This is Korea.

[periwinkle]

[stvwrd]

Can anyone recommend a clinic in Gangnam that I can visit regularly without paying too much and get decent treatment?

I'm very interested in this thread because I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to get treated for my high cholesterol for the past two years now.

Every doctor says the same thing. Blood test, then "You have high cholesterol. Do you exercise?" Yes, I do, "I think you no exercise. Exercise, diet, come back one month later, another blood test."

10 blood tests later and still no meds.

I'll be happy to just find someone that takes what I say about my own body seriously.

I'll chime in with my own anecdote:

I also had a fantastic grandfatherly doctor that took care of me when I had a long cut down the side of my leg that got infected. Unfortunately since he was a specialist I've stopped going to him.

But prior to finding him, I had gone to a big hospital (just south of Seohyun station in Bundang) for treatment. In the ER, I must have told people five times that I'm allergic to penicillin. Sure enough, the nurse comes over with a needle and is about to stick me and I say, "penicillin?" She nods her head yes and proceeds with the alcohol swab.

I was very upset and started asking everyone I knew for good doctor recommendations in the area.

I still had to go back to that hospital the next day for a follow-up antibiotic injection and when I asked what medicine he was about to give me via IV, he gets all defensive and asks "WHY???"

He was also insisting that I stay in the hospital for a week (which, in retrospect, maybe I should have, but definately not with him as my doctor).

The people at the oriental medicine clinics I've gone to have all been super-nice though (Be advised: their English is almost non-existent). The first time you go there it may seem expensive, like 50 bucks, but follow-up visits are quite cheap (I pay 4,000 for weekly acupuncture treatments on my knees).

[MarionG]

I've been to a number of Korean doctors. I have serious allergies to penicillin and sulfa, and to any drugs related to either of them. I always tell the doctors this, but despite that one doctor prescribed for me a drug related to penicillan. Fortunately, I requested the names of his prescriptions in English, looked them up on the Internet, so I didn't take it. Now I've found a doctor who DOES take drug allergies seriously, but he doesn't seem to know what drugs are related to what.

However, my experience has been that while doctors in hospital clinics are pleasant, they are rushed. Doctors in private clinics seem to take more time.

[Bramble]

stvwrd, I�m sorry to hear of your penicillin experience, but I�m going to have to side with the doctors when it comes to your cholesterol problem. You need to start eating properly and not rely on drugs to save you from your own bad habits.

This link may be a good place to start:

Dr. McDougall�s approach

Best of luck with this. I really think it�s the only hope for any of us.

[Hanson]

[Captain Corea]

[Control Z]

Bramble,

Cholesterol problems can be genetic and not stem solely from eating habits. My cholesterol was 430 and my LDL was at 370. This problem hit in my mid-twenties, the same time that my brother starting having problems. My mother and maternal grandmother had the same cholesterol numbers as well.

I went vegan for six months because I didn't want to use statins. During this time, I ate lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and exercised every day. As a result, my total level only dropped 20 points. After starting Lipitor, my cholesterol dropped 100 points in the first month. Some people need drugs to control their cholesterol.

It's been my experience that the doctors here are pretty rude to people with cholesterol problems. I've been told all sorts of wacky "tips" and rude comments from medical staff and pharmacists. My favorite is "All Westerners have cholesterol problems. It's all because of their bad diet."

[tsgarp]

I've had four regular doctors here. One was a linguistic genius and studied Mandarin Chinese and Hebrew (so he couuld read the Talmud and the Torah withut relying on English translations) in his spare time. He was meticulous in his detailed explanaions of the eczema I had. Two were highly professional and courteous and while not exceptional in their bedside manners, were still very pleasant. My current doctor is a hell of a good guy. I had developed "over-use" syndrome in my shoulder from working out and playing sports. There was no medical literature on it and even the sports therapists I consulted on the internet were at a loss other than to say just rest it for a while (which didn't help). There is virtually no information to be had on this anywhere. He sent me an e-mail two weeks later with what small information he could gather along with a recommended therapy that took care of it in a month. Also, since he wasn't able to treat me or give me any advice when I was in his office, he didn't charge me. Very much a professional and a really nice person.
I did have one bad doctor. The guy was a real louse. Solution, I didn't go back and I told everyone else not to go there. His clinic is now closed and gone.

[Bramble]