Expats Navigating Korean Health Screenings

Expats Navigating Korean Health Screenings: What You Need to Know

One of the many benefits of living in Korea is access to their amazing health screenings. Every two years Korean citizens can receive a fully covered health screening. The GHSP (General Health Screening Program) first started in the 1950’s. It has now grown into the biggest health screening program in the world. These screenings are as intense as they are thorough. The screening is structured to catch any possible disease or cancer while it is in the beginning stages and thus easier to treat.

In America, we tend to not get check ups unless there is an issue that would lead us to believe we are sick. Contrast to America, in Korea, the hope is to catch the problem before it is strong enough to affect quality of life. For many, expats navigating Korean health screenings for the first time can feel overwhelmed, but with the right resources and guidance, the process becomes much more manageable.

Top Clinics for English-Friendly Health Screenings in Korea

Both Saint Mary’s Hospital and Good Morning Hospital also offer these services to expats. They take a variety of insurances. Both hospitals have international patient service offices where the employees all speak English and can assist you with any billing or insurance questions via phone or by email. If you go in person, the International Patient Service Center is located on the second floor (just take the staircase on your right when you enter the hospital) at St. Mary’s and is located on the first floor at Good Morning hospital. You can also call their office numbers at:  St. Mary’s 010-8700-3163 and Good Morning Hospital: 031-5182-7691.

My Personal Experience with a Korean Health Screening

My family and I choose to use St.Mary’s as we have found they have amazing, caring and supportive staff. Let me take you on my adventure of receiving a health screening. The appointment took some time as several tests were conducted. Also it may differ from person to person, but they had me fast before I arrived. In hindsight the biggest mistake I made was not using one of their translators to help me with the screening. My Korean husband came with me to translate but our toddler had other plans and needed his attention more than I did. So about ten minutes in I was left to figure things out with my (less than) intermediate Korean skills. 

Step-by-Step: What Happens During the Screening

First they gave me hospital clothes to change into and escorted me to the locker room to change and lock up my personal items. 

After changing, they conducted basic tests such as: vitals, blood, urine, body measurements, hearing and vision. It was at about this time that I lost my translator/husband. My toddler was over the hospital scene and needed to adventure elsewhere. Things got a bit interesting when I was left to my own devices. I quickly found out that my knowledge of Korean medical vocabulary is microscopic. 

A Series of Specialized Medical Tests

I was ushered into another area where I went from door to door with each room containing a different medical professional to perform a test. It is at this point where it would have been nice to have my husband translate which test was going to happen next. But as it was, it became like a fun game show where I didnt know what surprise would be on the other side of the door! In this set of doors I was able to receive joint disease testing, thyroid scan, body scan, mammogram, chest x-ray, regular ultrasound, pap smear and a few more tests that I honestly am not exactly sure what they were testing for. 

Reviewing Results and the Benefits of Early Detection

Once the tests were all done I was able to meet with a doctor to go over the initial results. Luckily my translator/husband and toddler resurfaced and I was able to ask the questions that I wanted to. About a week and a half later all of my test results came in and were emailed to me. I found this part to be truly amazing. The results were very detailed and included a bio-age analysis report that has been extremely helpful to reference. 

I strongly encourage everyone to get this Annual Health Screening done while living in this great country. I can’t begin to comprehend how much these tests would have cost me if I were to attempt to do this in America. 

Making Korean Health Screenings Easier for Expats

It took less than two hours and with my insurance became very affordable.

I look forward to my next screening. It will be fun to see if I can make improvements on any of my test results, hopefully my Korean will have improved by then as well. 

Phone: 070-5012-3420

International clinic working hours: M – F 0830 – 1730 Saturday 0830 – 1430

office and consultation 24/7 English speaking service: 010-8700-3163

Fax: 031-652-8848

Email: ipsc@ptsm.co.kr

284 Pyeongtaek-ro Pyeongtaek Gyeonggi-do 450-818

Website: ptsm.co.kr

Navigating Korean Hospitals Handbook from 8th Army