Korean Job Discussion Forums

VanIslander · Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject:

Ya-ta Boy stated it best. You need to forget the cultural differences and focus on health issues.

OMGM ! I thought suing over "medical malpractice" was going to have something to do with a medical mistake that negatively affected your health! like a bad surgery.

It does come down to attitude and priorities: focus on what's most important, and get what you most need. Or spread a urine sample into the fan if you want give it the old Kansas heave ho.

Good luck whatever.

paperbag princess · Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Location: veggie hell

you have to pay in korea, why not pay in canada?

cubanlord · Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Location: In Japan!

I am sorry for your difficulties. I wish you the best of luck.

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

yes you DO have to/can pay directly to a doctor in Canada!~!!

Also, if you are a nonresident (as I understand it) you can continue paying to health care and get coverage as you need it.

but yeah...as mentioned....taxes'd gitcha

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

Yes, you're Canadian, so let's hate all Canadians. F*** YOU CANADA!!! Rolling Eyes

You are entitled to question anybody you want. If that person doesn't like being questioned, go to somebody new, it's as easy as that.

As well, you probably were to blame for the attitude problem. Even if you weren't trying to be rude, it very well could have come off that way. These problems always arise with language barriers. Did he have a right to call your boss? I don't think so, but I think he probably had your best interest in mind when he was doing so. There was probably no need to let that worry you.

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

noraleen · Joined: 19 Nov 2005

Sofa_King · Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Location: South Korea

Apple Scruff · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

First of all, doctor/patient confidentiality is to be expected in any advanced country, and if Korea is so much more advanced than Canada, then this dumbass doctor should know that. The boss had no need to know any specifics. If any of you went to the doctor with a rabid case of hemerroids and returned to work to have the boss ask you how your ass was feeling, you'd be in a bit of a snit, too. Second, everyone who said that her boss should have accompanied her or taken care of everything for her should try getting their boss to make a 30 second phone call to have a broken kitchen faucet fixed, let alone take an hour or two to go see a doctor with her. Third, the doctor sounds like a pissy bitch and likely doesn't know his brain from his dick. This isn't the first time I've heard of a Korean doctor with a chip on his shoulder. A friend of mine (an AMERICAN friend) questioned the ridiculous price of a couple of pills and the doctor immediately changed his mind, said my friend was no longer welcome to the pills and refused to speak English to him anymore.

I swear, Korean doctors are no more than monkeys in white coats. You'd be better off going to the ajumma at the �� for medical advice.

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

Infoseeker · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Location: Lurking somewhere near Seoul

Noraleen, as you have witnessed, there are some pretty unpleasant sorts lurking on this board. They make assumptions and judgements based on their own conjecture. They are clearly unhelpful, so don't take much notice of it. If you do, it's only going to stress you, and you don't need that.

Unfortunately, as you have seen, respect for privacy differs from culture to culture. Having spent time in rural China, where you have to take a dump in front of other people (generally of the same gender of course) also doing their business - I'm rather inured to it by now! You've got to learn to relax and develop new tolerances. Is this incident really important in the course of your life? No. Think on the bright side: gall stones are not the embarrassment a bout of syphillis would be! So relax and forget about it. Put it down to experience. It may well be that the doctor and your employer both had good intentions. Feeling hurt and anger is only going to damage YOU in the end.

Perhaps a kind Korean acquaintance can get assistance for you. Like some posters have commented: concern yourself with getting better - and nothing more.

Good luck Noraleen, I hope things get better soon.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

When you first had problems you should have changed doctors. And if you live in Seoul or another major city you should have gone to a hospital with English speaking staff. Barring that bring a Korean along whom you can trust.

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

I hope you get a second or even third opinion. My co-worker was diagnosed with gall stones, but I guess the stone shrunk. I don't know how that works, but unless it's blocking a duct, many people just deal with it (I've heard my co-worker go on on about gall stones).

I'm sorry some people on this board went off on you. I don't think you were unreasonable. That doctor's attitude is unprofessional and childish. My husband told me there are confidentiality rules that doctors should follow. If I were you, I would've been upset, as well.

sconner · Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Location: South Carolina

I am going through a similar situation so I can sympathize. If you want to pursue a complaint try this website:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/teaching/teaching_1240.html

Unless you have surgery and a mistake is made you really don't have a malpractice case. As for the rest, I would go to another doctor. There is a list in Lonely Planet of English speaking clinics. I had problems similar to yours at Severance Hospital so you might not want to go there. Good luck in whatever you do.