Korean Job Discussion Forums

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

The people at Seoul National University Hospital's International Clinic are very helpful. The whole hospital is like an uncomfortable assembly-line, and you may end up waiting a while, but it's not overpriced. You may need to be pretty insistent on what is wrong and whether or not they've actually found the problem or not.

aussieb · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Location: Brisbane,Australia

I had a consultation at Inha University Hospital International Clinic in Incheon last week.
I can't comment on the cost or actual medical treatment.
The clinic has only been opened since Sept 09 and is very modern.
Two Doctors I saw spoke English well. I met 4 nurses, 3 spoke English with Japanese & Chinese as well and the 4th spoke Russian.
I was impressed with the clinic.

Dazed and Confused · Joined: 10 Jan 2003

I never mess with the International Clinics. I have found it just as easy to go online (with the help of a Korean friend) and find out which doctors studied overseas and book appointments with them. As far as I know the International Clinic will just send you upstairs if you need to see a specialist and you end up with two charges instead of one. Confused

DeLaRed · Joined: 16 Oct 2008

just bumping this as the start of this thread is a couple years old.

Anyone update this with their views on clinics you use?

Seoulman69 · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

I used to regularly go to Severence in Sinchon for UVB treatment for vitiligo. Even though I had a Korean friend set up the initial appointment and never went through the international clinic they would still sometimes try to charge me extra for being a foreigner.
They also recently over-exposed me to UVB and left me severely sunburnt for weeks.
Severence hospital should be ashamed that they charge foreigners so much considering the fact it was founded by a foreign missionary.

If you have the choice, go somewhere that doesn't charge you extra just for being a foreigner.

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

Seoulman69 · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

toby99 · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:21 pm Post subject:

Though some have said he's a quack, I like the doc at the Int'l Clinic in Itaewon. Talks like a mafia don and he doesn't beat around the bush.

I've also visited the clinic at the other hospital near Itaewon in I believe Hannam-dong. Also a very nice guy and significantly cheaper than the other option.

Seoulman69 · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

atwood · Joined: 26 Dec 2009

I've had the same experience with being overcharged at Severance. It's a rip-off. Also the hospital is usually overcrowded and I always had long wait times when seeing a doctor there.

And the operation I had there was not successful.

Kissmykimchi · Joined: 25 May 2010 Location: Seoul

I agree with Zulethe

http://kissmykimchi.com/2007/07/international-clinic.html

0ju · Joined: 30 Sep 2009

OK,

I have to disagree that the international clinic at SNU is a great place.

I went there for a recurrent infection (I needed antibiotics). They listened to my symptoms and then told me that I would need to get some "basic tests" done before they would prescribe anything. These tests had absolutely NOTHING to do with my symptoms and no other doctor had ever required them, but I was a little bit desperate as I was pretty sick at this time so I decided to go along with it.

They then handed me a $300 bill for the tests and a $25 bill for the drugs that I needed.

On top of the tests they performed being pointless, expensive, and extremely uncomfortable, the doctor scared me and my parents half to death by suggesting that I might have CANCER? I then spent a lot of time and additional money getting this checked out at another hospital (and the doctor there couldn't figure out what crackpipe the original physician had been smoking).

Screw SNUH... I'm never going back there!

0ju · Joined: 30 Sep 2009

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?p=2396913

shininxpinay · Joined: 14 Feb 2009

i've had a better experience with the doctors at SNUH but agree on the price. i've been dealing with inflammation and clicking in my knees for 2 years due to teaching, and no doctor has ever been able to give me real piece of mind of what was going on with my knees until i went to SNUH. to avoid the costs of doing the tests again, i brought my own MRI and own blood test result to the orthopedic surgeon, all fairly recent. they tried to order a set of x-rays for me, which was redundant since i had the MRI. on top of that, they tried to charge 120,000won for the x-rays, which i only paid 40,000won at hanyang university's international clinic. to give you a better idea of the price difference, this is what i paid at different hospitals/doctors for what i was asking for:

consultation with specialist: SNUH 60,000won vs. Hanyang University 40,000 (not too bad)

radiologist examination of the MRI: SNUH 108,000won vs. 60,000won at a private radiologist

despite the costs, the doctor was able to give me a diagnosis that finally made sense to me and gave me some meds and home treatment exercises to help get back to normal. however, i would not go here unless you absolutely need the second opinion from another doctor. bring copies of your own tests if possible to save yourself cash. most independent places can produce the same test results as major hospitals if you only need to present basic tests - x-rays, blood tests, and even a private radiologist can give you a CT Scan/MRI photos on a CD to take with you to a doctor. the hospital will have its own staff to reanalyze the test results anyway to check for anomalies.