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BRUTAL Itaewon International Clinic: Overcharged + Misdiag..
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canoe_jesuit



Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: seoul

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:36 pm    Post subject: BRUTAL Itaewon International Clinic: Overcharged + Misdiag.. Reply with quote

I am recommending foreigners DON'T use the itaewon international clinic.

I went in there with serious stomach pains - figuring it was an ulcer.

The doctor gives me the x-ray and ultrasound testing. Seeing a very small kidney stone, diagnoses that my stomach pain is due to this very small kidney stone which has caused a MASSIVE amount of constipation. He hands me 60,000 worth of "detox" vitamins and hands me a 350,000bill. **This clinic RARELY has any national medical insurance deductions - I only received 20,000won this time around. In the past, i've never been able to deduct much from these over priced visits.

BASICALLY:
*60,000won for 5,000won worth of vitamins was not prescribed, but given by his own "vitamin lady" within the clinic. Having little experience, I just figured it was a prescription of sorts.

*This GP couldn't detect a simple ulcer (as a subsequent visit to a proper hospital determined 60hours after visiting this clinic), after he ran all the tests. Instead, he just MISDIAGNOSED and claimed constipation was the cause of my pain. When I took his x-rays to the hospital today, they laughed at his constipation-kidney stone diagnosis and said the x-ray clearly shows NO problem in these areas. The stone itself is so small that it is INSIGNIFICANT. **The doc also wanted to prescribe for me a bunch of muscle related pills and shoot me with an injection, which has 0 to do with this problem, but lines his pocket!

*This clinic NEVER has any national insurance deductions, but if you visit a proper hospital, usually more than half gets diagnosed.

In short, he runs all the tests, and overcharges

When I visited him for a hair line fracture of my rib cage, he gave me a boat load of pills and a rib brace that was double the cost of the same item in a regular pharmacy.

I will email him for a refund on the 60,000won vitamins and I will make a proper blog to teach people to avoid his profit shop
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etopkorea



Joined: 20 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree that they overcharge, but they might not be wrong about the kidney stones. I know you think it's an ulcer, but I get kidney stones regularly and they always start with stomach pain, a fever (sometimes) and massive constipation.

Anyway, I'm not arguing about the price or the lack of treatment, but the diagnosis might be right. Maybe you should go to a kidney stone clinic and get a second opinion to rule it out or confirm it.

Good luck.
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weso1



Joined: 26 Aug 2010

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My friend went there for a basic check up, he said she had e.coli.

She was perfectly healthy. E.coli is usually diagnosed when there is vomiting and diarrhea is pouring out of you. Like Dr. Cox said "It's just not e.coli unless it's spraying out both ends."

I think it's well known he scams the foreigners a bit. But I put up with it. Mainly because he gives me a bottle full of Xanax whenever I ask for it, no questions asked.
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UknowsI



Joined: 16 Apr 2009

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:07 am    Post subject: Re: BRUTAL Itaewon International Clinic: Overcharged + Misdi Reply with quote

canoe_jesuit wrote:
When I took his x-rays to the hospital today, they laughed at his constipation-kidney stone diagnosis and said the x-ray clearly shows NO problem in these areas. The stone itself is so small that it is INSIGNIFICANT.

I'm not saying your first doctor was right, but I have met many doctors here who loves to blame the previous doctors for mistreatment. Reminds me of new governments, blaming the old government for why they haven't fix the economy/your health and then give a new reform/diagnosis and hope it will work this time. Most of the time it is just a case where the symptoms might point in more than one direction and there is no clear diagnosis.
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hogwonguy1979



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

people should skip him and go around the corner to the international clinic at soonchunyang univ. hospital, much cheaper, he speaks english and has saturday hours. only downside i think is he's so busy that he doesnt spend enough time to figure out what may be wrong if its serious
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joesp



Joined: 16 Jan 2008

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 3:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1. Yes, overcharged. Waaaaayyyy overcharged. I pay 5,000 won to see my doctor at the clinic, but I have cancer so I only pay 3% of any medical bill now.

2. If you want a good diagnosis, go to a large hospital, not a local clinic. If you have anything serious, only the university hospital level can diagnose it, in my experience. I had a lung filled with blood (well, 2 liters anyway) and all I got from 4 clinics was a shot, cold pills, acupuncture, and another shot + cold pills in that order until somebody finally took a basic X-ray (that wasn't even a clinic, that was the free clinic, the 보건소 behind my 구청 (district office).
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jc1257



Joined: 22 Aug 2010

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 3:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just for what it's worth, I had a fairly serious knee injury last year (fortunately didn't require surgery), and I was very happy with my service there and the price wasn't too terrible.
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PaperTiger



Joined: 31 May 2005
Location: Ulaanbataar

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is that the doctor who speaks English like an American? I'd be interested what the AMA has to say about him and why he doesn't practice in the US anymore. I think he's close to retirement (for health reasons) and is milking it for all it's worth. I'd sooner see a doctor who can't speak any English before returning there.
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orosee



Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hogwonguy1979 wrote:
people should skip him and go around the corner to the international clinic at soonchunyang univ. hospital, much cheaper, he speaks english and has saturday hours. only downside i think is he's so busy that he doesnt spend enough time to figure out what may be wrong if its serious


+1
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Draz



Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

joesp wrote:
I had a lung filled with blood (well, 2 liters anyway) and all I got from 4 clinics was a shot, cold pills, acupuncture, and another shot + cold pills in that order until somebody finally took a basic X-ray


Shocked Wow. I only had one doctor prescribe cold pills before finding one that did a blood test when I reported being impossibly tired all the time. (It was my thyroid.)
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matthews_world



Joined: 15 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What are they charging for a physical - blood & urine test that checks nutritional information, enzyme levels, STDs, etc?
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The Floating World



Joined: 01 Oct 2011
Location: Here

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

matthews_world wrote:
What are they charging for a physical - blood & urine test that checks nutritional information, enzyme levels, STDs, etc?


Not sure. At the local uni hospital in Gumi I had thyroid level and adrenal levels checked with national health insurance and it came out to around 30k won.
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hogwonguy1979



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

matthews_world wrote:
What are they charging for a physical - blood & urine test that checks nutritional information, enzyme levels, STDs, etc?


SCH charged me 55k for the e2 physical so figure around that.

dont go to the quack in itaewon, SCH is a 10 minute walk from there and they wont rip you off.
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elltotheoh



Joined: 31 May 2010
Location: Bundang

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PaperTiger wrote:
Is that the doctor who speaks English like an American? I'd be interested what the AMA has to say about him and why he doesn't practice in the US anymore. I think he's close to retirement (for health reasons) and is milking it for all it's worth. I'd sooner see a doctor who can't speak any English before returning there.


He does! The first time he opened his mouth (I too was visiting for a bottle of Xanax), I was so shocked, he sounds like some good ol' boy back home.
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cj1976



Joined: 26 Oct 2005

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd recommend the Seoul National University International Clinic next to Hyehwa Station on line 4. Fast, efficient and not too expensive.
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