Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kimbos_Bread]

Hello there, I am going to be teaching at the LCI Academy in Suji-gu, South Korea starting in March. I have some questions about the move over that I was hoping some of you kind souls might be able to answer for me.

-What are the medical examinations when I arrive like? Will it be as thorough as the physical I am going to get in the States before I leave? I understand they take a blood test for HIV/TB and urine to test for drugs, is that correct?

-Should I get any shots here before I leave? I've seen conflicting info on the web about getting Hepatitis A & B shots. What shots did you get before going over?

-Has anyone here taught for the LCI Academy before? Any information regarding them or the town of Suji-gu would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for all your help.

[Harpeau]

I would suggest that you get your Hep. shots. Best of luck!

[BS.Dos.]

You really should have asked these questions before you gave LCI the nod. Not saying that you're going to have problems with them as I've never heard of them, it's just the leg work you put in on Dave's before you finalize anything with your recruiter etc pays dividends. Medical examinations are pretty standard urine and blood tests. It'd be advisable to speak to your doctor and let him/her know you'll be heading out here. They'll be able to tell you what jabs you'll need.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to give you the rest of the info you're looking for.

[dirkdiggler]

[Chet Wautlands]

I don't think that was condescending. There are some absolute shit hagwons out there that people should avoid.

Kimbos Bread, I wouldn't worry about any the medical check unless you have a serious reason to worry. If you're healthy, it'll be a breeze.

[Big Mac]

Definitely get your hepatitis A and B shots. It takes six months to get them all though, so I would get on that right away. You get one shot now, another in a month and then another after six months. Each one costs about 60 bucks.

When I had mine done in 2005 I had to get the last two shots in Korea. My first one in Canada was a twinrex shot, which they don't have in Korea. So in Korea they had to give me two separate shots and adjust the dosages accordingly. I think it would be better to get them all in one place if you can.

The medical check isn't a big deal. They weigh you, measure your height, check your vision, take a blood sample, take a urine sample and do a chest X-Ray. Depending on the hospital, it will cost you about 65,000 Won.

[DCJames]

[chris_J2]

Q.-"What are the medical examinations when I arrive like?"

You will get a chest xray for tuberculosis / impaired lung function, & blood tests for aids, & hepatitis. My employer (EPIK) told the doctor on the phone it wasn't necessary to take a urine test for drugs. Not that I do drugs anyway. Depends what your hagwon wants to pay for, & how thorough a medical check they want. Korea is just about a first world country, & I have never been sick eating food there in 3 years. However, if you vacation in S.E.A. (Philippines eg), then the hep shots are definitely worth getting, & probably much cheaper in Korea, than the US.

http://wiki.galbijim.com/Suji-gu

[Big Mac]

Chris_J2, I find it strange that your employer could tell them what they wanted and what they didn't want. This health check is not for the employer. It is for immigration. Immigration wants to see if you are healthy before they give you an Alien Registration Card.

Employers cannot pick and choose which options they want with the health check.

Korea is high risk for hepatitis, because of all the food sharing that happens here. So despite what Chris_J2 says, get your hepatitis shots. To further show that Chris_J2 doesn't know what he is talking about, hepatitits shots are just as expensive here as they are back home. I seem to remember paying a lot more than what I paid in Canada for my booster shots. It was somewhere between 60 and 80,000 Won a pop. I think it was something like $40 in Canada.

[chris_J2]

Big Mac, I actually overheard the conversation in the doctors surgery, and EPIK's exact words to the doctor were "don't bother with a urine test". If you were in the same surgery as me & heard contrary, then please let us all know.

"Korea is high risk for hepatitis"

Got a source for that? eg: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16380661?dopt=Abstract

In 3 years, I never once caught anything from food in Korea. I have NOT advised the OP not to get hep shots, either, & in fact recommended they do get shots, if they are considering going to SEA (or China) on vacation. Btw, $40 CA, is now about 60k won. Last time I looked, Canada was not part of the United States, either.

Edit: All medical costs are considerably cheaper once you have your Korean medical card. eg a ventolin spray I purchased without the card was 50k won +. With the card, the price was just 3k won. Quite a difference.

[Big Mac]

According to this map from the Centre for Disease Control based in the U.S., the prevalence of Hepatitis A in Korea is intermediate.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-HepA.aspx#362

According to this map from the same centre, the prevalence of Hepatitis B in Korea is high.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-HepB.aspx

So I would say it would be a good idea to get hepatitis shots before going to Korea.

Chris_J2, I'm sure your boss did say that. People can say whatever they want. However, that doesn't change the fact that it is not up to your employers to decide what is on the medical test. Your employer has to submit that document to immigration. They're the ones who care. They're the ones who say there has to be a urine test. If immigration accepted your medical test without a urine test, you were either lucky or someone at your school is doing a very good job of "taking care" of its immigration contacts.

I've never been sick from eating food in Korea either. That still doesn't mean you won't get hepatitis at some point. Maybe you've been lucky. As for me, I don't want to take the chance, especially with something like hepatitis. If you get hepatitis, don't come whining on here about it.

Also, Chris_J2, your medical insurance will not cover a hepatitis shot. You will have to pay the full amount. That's unless something has changed since I got my shots. So that doesn't matter.

$40 Canadian is worth about 46,000 Won. I don't know what this has to do with Canada's relation with the United States. Thank God we're not part of the United States and I hope and pray we never will be. Just in case you didn't know (and the fact that you used the American exchange rate instead of the Canadian tells me you don't) we actually have our own money in Canada too. What a concept, eh? And we even call it the dollar! Whoa.

[Kimbos_Bread]

Thanks for all your responses. I'm going to a travel clinic today to get the shot process started.

[chris_J2]

Big Mac, neither of those 2 maps even show Korea. Both are western hemisphere, only. This one does, & Sth Korea is 'clean' on the map, unlike Beijing China (hepatitis) & Japan (tb):

http://www.healthmap.org/en (click on 'Asia')

Nor does the US website specify South Korea. It just says Korea. North Korea does have serious health issues. But aside from that, I agree it's a good idea to get shots for all the major food & water borne illnesses such as hepatitis, cholera, tb, typhoid, etc. I had all of those shots on my first trip to Thailand and Indonesia in 1990. I'd also get booster shots for tetanus & polio. When I was living in Paju, adjacent to the North Korean border, there were also frequent fumigations of mosquitoes, presumably for malaria.

Why mention the US?

Because I initially said this: "the hep shots are definitely worth getting, & probably much cheaper in Korea, than the US".

Canadians use 'loonies', btw, not $ I've just returned to Australia after 2 months in Canada & the US. I preferred Canada over the US, which has some huge social problems, imho.

[Big Mac]

That map clearly has the entire world on it, not just the Western hemisphere. And yes, Korea is on it and there is a clear distinction on the map between North and South Korea, particularly on the hepatitis A map, which shows South Korea as being intermediate and North Korea as being high.

I agree that Canada has social problems. So does Australia or any country for that matter.

[I-am-me]

Skip Korea! Not worth the hassle.