Check Up on It!

One of the most notable requirements to be an English teacher in South Korea is the successful completion of a medical exam….in South Korea. So even after you’ve done everything it takes to get hired, get your paperwork, get everything approved, get a plane ticket, get an E-2 visa, and get yourself over here, you’re still not in the clear. If you are unable to pass the medical exam, you’re outta here. You become ineligible for an Alien Registration Card, your visa gets revoked, you get dishonorably discharged from your contract, and you have to find your way back to the states on your own dime.

Although it has created some level of anticipation for many English teachers, the exam itself really isn’t that bad. It’s pretty straightforward, and includes the following:

• Height, Weight, and Blood Pressure
• Provide a Urine Sample
• Chest X-ray
• Blood Sample
• 5-item questionnaire with the doctor on duty regarding your general health (Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you take drugs? Do you exercise? Do you take medication?)

So, on Thursday, August 11, I went to the hospital along with another one of the new teachers at EV, driven by the new HR guy. We were in an out in about an hour, including various wait times. Overall, there’s nothing too exciting to share about the experience, but I thought I’d share nonetheless.

I would like to point out a few things about my slideshow:

• This occurred at a small local hospital in Paju. This is not a major hospital, so it is not equipped as such. However, there are a ton of national and world-renowned hospitals throughout South Korea. Please do not send me any messages talking about how I’m going to die from inadequate care if something happens to me in SoKo. LOL
• No one can ever find my veins, and that remained true during this visit. The nurse had to take blood from my hand because that is where my veins were most prominent. They were nowhere to be found in the traditional location. Please do not send me any messages talking about how nurses in SoKo don’t know how to take blood. LOL
• I took a picture of the guy sitting at the desk because he looked like a patient that had escaped his room just to use the computer at the front entrance. But if that were the case, it’s not very rare. Apparently, if you’re a patient in a Korean hospital, you can leave the hospital to do stuff, like go get something to eat, run errands, etc. I guess they just give you a to-go bag for your IV as long as you come back at night for your meds? I don’t know. I’d assume that this system only works for ambulatory patients, but I thought I’d just comment on it anyway.
• The other pictures are either very explanatory, or pictures of random posters I saw while at the hospital. Please don’t ask me what they say. I don’t know. Google it. :-)

Up Next: The Village People