Bargain Basement Medicine

I (Jon) have officially completed my first visit to a Korean hospital. Nothing was seriously wrong (I rolled my ankle playing soccer) but I figured it'd be best to go and see a doctor and get some X-Ray's, just in case. To make a long story short, I was admitted, saw the orthopedic surgeon (specialist fellow), got X-Rays, a follow up visit with the doc, discharged and picked up my medicine in less than an hour. The cost (including the prescription medication and the tensor bandage)? $17. Not too shabby.

A private medical system can be wonderfully efficient. Yes, yes, I know, slippery slope and all that. However, for those that do not have to visit the hospital very often, a cheap and efficient medial system can be a refreshing change from the emergency room in Canada.

An interesting aspect of Korean culture is that people go to the hospital for EVERYTHING it seems. If you are ever sick, you go to the hospital, especially if you are going to miss something due to said illness (school, work, appointment, etc.). It was shocking the first few times I asked a student "What did you do yesterday?" and they replied "I went to the hospital." It essentially means they went to the doctor, but it's a lot more extreme when you say "hospital."

In addition, once you've been to the hospital, many people continue on with their day. In Canada, if you are feeling sick with a cold or flu, you stay home and rest/feel better. That way, you get recover quickly and you don't get anyone else sick. However, many Korean people will come to work/school sick as a dog and proceed to spread it around. Generous? Yes. Appreciated? Not necessarily.