If your are planning to teach in South Korea, you will require a health check shortly after your arrival to the country. The health check is not solely to meet the requirements Korean immigrations and obtaining your E2 visa, but more to meet the requirements of the Korean Department of Education. The original health check 3 to 4 years ago simply consisted of a urine and blood test. However, the laws subsequently changed. The check is now a little more comprehensive. The Korean government wants to ensure that teachers in both private academies and public schools are in reasonable health. In light of this, like many Koreans employed in the public sector, you will have to undergo a battery of health tests.
These tests usually take 40 to 50 minutes to complete and consist of seven individual stations or rooms. Before you begin your health check, you will have to take a number and give the required information to a receptionist. You will require 3 to 4 passport size photos and your original passport. Most of the time, your school will assist you with this process which is necessary as the forms have to be completed in Korean. If you run across a situation where your employer cannot or will not assist you, most hospitals usually have an English speaking booth or section. This is initial process is usually done reasonably quickly.
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The first station is dental. Here a dental hygienist or dentist will do a fast, overall examination of your teeth. You will be asked to open your mouth and he or she will quickly examine your dental hygiene and overall appearance of your teeth. You will then be asked to say "e." This, I assume, is to demonstrate you have a somewhat reasonable smile.
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The second station consists of a urine sample and blood test. You will be given a paper cup, complete with a small plastic tube, and asked to proceed to the washroom. The small plastic tube, which is labelled with your name and ID number, is to suction some urine from the cup and pass it on to the nurse. The blood test is painless, and they usually draw about 4 vials. The test is primarily for the purposes of testing for STDs and illegal drugs.
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The third station is a chest x-ray. The x-ray is taken fully clothed, although you will be asked to remove any necklaces. This only takes 1 to 2 minutes. The purpose of this, I believe, is to ward against anybody entering the public sector with tuberculosis or any highly communicable disease.
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Station four is weight, height, waist and chest measurements. To pass, I don't think you have to be extremely well proportioned, although extremely heavy individuals might experience some difficulty. However, I've yet to hear about anybody failing their health check due to being overweight.
The fifth station is a simple sight and hearing test. You will be asked to put on a set of headphones and identify whether the sounds are coming from your right ear or your left ear. The sight test is standard letter identification which gets progressively smaller as you go down the chart.
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| Photo Credited To: http://www.online-hearing-test.co.uk |
At the sixth station you will be tested for color blindness and your blood pressure will be taken. If you are within reasonable limits ( 120/80 is perfect, but 140/90 is fine), you will pass with flying colors.
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The seventh, and final station, is consultation. The physician will ask you ( most of them speak reasonable English) if you drink, smoke, experience chest pains, dizziness, fatigue, etc. He or she is usually quite pleasant and talkative and will generally ask you how long you have been in Korea and if you like Korean food.
As I mentioned earlier in this blog, the entire process usually takes about 40 to 50 minutes from beginning to end. Due to the high volume of traffic, it actually moves along at a remarkable pace. The medical professionals in Korean hospitals are usually helpful, courteous, and very nonthreatening.
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