After a couple weeks of trying to schedule an appointment with the Seoul National University International Clinic, I finally got to go in for my medical clearance exam this weekend. Despite the hassle and confusion setting the appointment, I couldn’t be happier with how well they took care of me at the hospital.
I stayed out late with my co-teacher at the Chuncheon Mime Festival Friday night (super fun!), then caught the 6 am bus to Seoul for my appointment. I made it to the clinic by 8:15 and had plenty of time to fill in my portion of the evaluation form while I waited for them to open at 9.
The nurse that assisted me all morning spoke great English and did a great job going over the form with me and explaining all of my procedures. She personally walked me through my physical, arranged my gyno exam in a different area of the hospital, and made sure I had an escort any time something took me outside the clinic area. I’ve never felt so informed in a medical situation.
Despite the supreme lack of sleep and food, they managed to keep me in a good mood all morning. I do mean ALL morning. I was in and out of appointments from 9am to 12. The fact that they kept me smiling through a physical, gyno exam, 2 shots, and 7 vials of blood for lab work is nothing shy of miraculous. Especially since I HATE getting blood drawn. I have a poor track record with it (fainting, pain, seizure ) and I get really really wigged out. Luckily, I remembered to bring my kindle and made sure my nurse told them that I was planning to read my book and pretend they weren’t there and that they could tell me when they were finished. To my surprise it was almost completely painless and they told me my reading plan was super cute.
750,000 won later (about $650) I’m just one TB test from finishing the med portion. All I have to do now is go in for one more blood test, then wait another couple weeks for all of the lab reports to come in.
Now, the dentist, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as pleasant. I went from SNUH to lunch to US Dental (formerly Tufts Dental) for the second of 3 appointments. Last time, she did the general exam and determined that I have a few small cavities and a desperate need for a professional cleaning. Considering it’d been 8 years, I considered that a success. Oh, and surprising detail, I only have 1 wisdom tooth. That’s pretty cool.
So, this time, I went in expecting a couple fillings and a cleaning. Maybe $150 worth of work. Haha…no.
She greets me at the door and informs me that I’m scheduled for 7 filllings and 1 exctraction.
uhh…WHAT?!?!
So I completely panic and start frantically trying to figure out what this whole extraction business is. Apparently, she’d intended to remove my lone little wisdom tooth, to which I responded HELL NO!!! I’ve read so many horror stories about wisdom tooth extraction in Korea. FYI: it’s a conscious procedure here. Just a little local anesthetic and you’re awake for every horrifying crunch and yank.
She tried to explain that it’s Peace Corps procedure, as outlined in the report. After pointing out that it says the the tooth must either be removed or be ASYMPTOMATIC, I convinced her to let me keep it. I mean, f’realz, I didn’t even know it was there. Obviously, it’s not causing any trouble.
So, that was the first dental crisis of the afternoon. After that, we went back and she told me we’d only be doing half my fillings today and that I have to COME BACK for the other 3. I didn’t even argue. The thought of going back makes my skin crawl, but, after winning the battle of the wisdom tooth, I didn’t want to push my luck.
Oh, and it ended up costing waaaay more than $150. Like, 3-4 times more. And I’ve still got another $300 session on Wednesday.
Long story short, for those of you applying from Korea, SNUH International Clinic is the shiz. They will bend over backwards to make sure you’re comfortable and well taken care of. US Dental, however, will be very thorough with your report and do great work, but costs way more than a typical Korean dentist and is not the most welcoming person you’ll ever meet. I seem to get the impression that she’s always looking for a way to make a little more money off you. Maybe that’s just me though. I’ve heard great things from other people, but, if I were given a second reliable option, I’d probably give someone else a shot. Personal opinion. (Obviously, I’m not a great authority on dentists. I avoid them if at all possible.)
Anyway, that’s the adventure so far. I’ll be really really happy when this whole portion of the process is done. It’s not that it’s terrible, it’s actually better than I expected, but it is a bit of a hassle and I really really really dislike doctors and dentists.
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