Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Capricious1]

I am in Guri, pretty new here, and am having some issues with the pharmacy, while some things are universal, it would seem throat spray is not, they have given me all sorts of sprays, just no throat spray. That said, brings up the question of medical care. I am from the states and back at home I preferred non western medicine, going to an acupuncturist and an herbalist or a dietitian when at all possible. Does anyone know n English speaking doctor that practices more traditional medicines as opposed to western medicine, or a combination of both, that also speaks English. I have asked the few Koreans i know and they just give me a blank look. An pharmacist that speaks English reliably would also be majorly useful if anyone has one to recommend. Thanks!

[adventuregal]

I don't live anywhere close to you.. but from my sub-par knowledge of Korean, traditional medicine is still called "Chinese Medicine".
When I go for acupuncture, I asked the people at my school, and they were confused too. Turns out, they still know it as the Choongook Hospital (China Hospital). Good luck.. Acupuncture is lovely (and cheeeeap here!)

[lion]

Welcome to the land where what we used to call "Traditional Chinese Medicine" is covered by insurance, and damn cheap even if you don't have insurance!

It's called "한약". A traditional doctor's office is called a "한의원", and the doctor him/herself a "한의사". If you can't read Hangeul, print that out and carry it around: those places are everywhere. Look on the upper floors of commercial buildings right in your neighborhood.

Since I came to Korea years ago I have been seeing a progression of these guys who were successively:
- less expensive
- less fluent at English
- more conveniently located
- more effective!

I used to see one who spoke very good English near Ichon (이촌) station, but I can't remember her name and she was a bit expensive anyway. (20,000 won a visit for the uninsured) My current doc is a youngish guy in my hood who speaks (to me, anyways) no English but (with insurance) is only about 5,000 won per visit and is really good!

If you really want to make the trek to Ichon, just ask and I'll do a little digging, but you could do worse than to walk around your 'hood, find a place, go in and point at where it hurts, hope for a little rudimentary English on the other end, and pay cash.

One last piece of advice: don't let anyone talk you into going to 경희대병원 (KyungHee University Hospital). You might find an informed Korean who will point you there because it's the foremost university for educating these doctors, but it was the first (and most expensive, and least effective) place I went. Although the doc was a university prof with good English, he was much less interested in getting to the root of my problem than he was in showing off the latest and greatest techniques. And it was about 40-50,000 per visit without insurance.

hope this helps!

[cadurling]

They stopped covering non conventional medicine through insurance, atl east some types of medicine.

[lion]

[cadurling]

Not sure since when, but my wife just spent 3 weeks in the hospital covered. Got medicine to take home, which was not covered. Seems if you stay at the hospital they will cover it, but if you stay at home they charge. Doesn't make sense, but I'm far from making sense of anything in Korea.

[Capricious1]

Lion, could you do some digging and find the name of that doctor, I would really like to find one that speaks English, I don't feel well and the pharmacist don't understand throat spray no matter how I motion.

[lion]

[lion]

[Capricious1]

Lion, the throat spray is a fixation in my every thought at this moment, just because that is how bad my throat hurts, i don't expect her to have it, I cant find it to tide me over tell i find a good doctor is the issue, so i wanted her particulours so that I could quickly get in and get some more long term and meaningful relief for this sinus and now throat mess that I have. Thank you so much for the information, hopefully she willl be able to fit me in her schedule soon! Thank you so much!

[lion]

Any luck there?

[Capricious1]

Well, it has not worked out yet because I have not been able to get a Korean to call her for me, but if I am unable to tomorrow I will attempt a call myself. Did get some throat spray, its awful, and came with medicine that made my heart race so bad i thought i might be having a heart attack. I have never been so happy as I was to see a pack of halls (at the mini mart in the Guri train station) in my whole life. So yeah hopefully she can get me in and I can get someone to call for me during business hours. Thanks so much!

[lion]

No worries. You could just go there-- I think the first time I went there, it was without an appointment.

Hope it works out for you!