Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DosEquisXX]

working ESL in South Korea, or any other country for that matter?

[andrewchon]

At the medical the doctors told me that I, technically, couldn't teach in Korea because
1. My eye sight was below 1.0/2.0 in both left and right even with corrective lenses.
2. My blood pressure was too high.
However, I had just arrived in Korea. As if they're gonna pay for my return ticket just because of that.
I don't know if same applies to K-teachers.

[DosEquisXX]

Wow. I originally thought that they were only concerned about severe infectious diseases, not high blood pressure.

Would diabetes prevent you from getting a position overseas, assuming you had control over it?

[andrewchon]

I'm only re-telling what the examiner said. Don't know much else.

[ontheway]

[andrewchon]

If I had stated on my application that I am blind as a bat and is suffering from high blood pressure, then I'd not been invited to Korea.
The app didn't ask me about eye sight.
I wrote high blood pressure on my app. It was very high on the medical day, but the blood pressure does go up and down, and I was getting treated for it.

I'm guessing that I got to keep the job because:
1. the semester had already started,
2. I was the only applicant several months after the job offering
3. school didn't want to pay for my return ticket

So, the answer is yes, failed medical but kept the job, but only because it was the practical thing to do.
If the situation was more favourable to the school (had more time, other candidates available, already-in-Korea applicant etc) then the outcome could've been quite different.

[Kaypea]

I know, I kept failing blood pressure too, but they kept testing and eventually... when I was so sick of the tests that I had been crying over them... I passed!

But, I imagine if blood pressure was so important, they would ask about it on the self-disclosure form you do before going? (although they do ask about "health issues"... honestly, though, I didn't know I had blood pressure issues).

So, informal med advice for us... should we be trying to lower the bp? Can we ask not to be served Korean food because it's too salty and bad for BP?

[DosEquisXX]

Would controlled diabetes keep you out of South Korea?

[Fishead soup]

Drop at least 10 kilo's and start taking high blood pressure meds. I suggest BETA blockers these really get the numbers down. Stop drinking stop smoking and eat soy substitutes instead of red meat. Eat a bland vegetarian diet. Exercise untle you are ready to drop dead. Do this for a least a month and you will see a drop in your BP

[DosEquisXX]

[DosEquisXX]

Heh, the answer is already on here.

I guess so long as it's controlled, you should be all right. Though given the number of applicants coming in, they might a bit more picky about health issues.

[cruisemonkey]