Journal Entry 6

Medical Service in Korea




I didn't go to see doctors very often before I was getting married. I was very healthy and didn't have any particular disease at all. However, most married woman have to go to hospital no matter how perfectly healthy she may be. That's when she gives birth to her baby. I happened to be hospitalized 3 times during stay in the US. Through the experiences I've thought a lot about the medical services comparing Korea and the US.




Most of all, it is the attitude of doctors. The moment we enter the doctor's office, he/she always greets with smile and listens to the patients' complaints carefully. I was very impressed with it from the time first visit to a doctor, because the image I had about Korean doctors is they look serious or angry. They wait until the patient bows to them. They never stand up to greet patients. Many doctors never show respect for patients. It seems to me that they learn techniques in the Medical school, but don't learn how to be a good human doctor. They just look at patients as objects not human beings with emotions.




I recall a documentary about a respected Korean doctor who studied and practiced in the US, and later moved to Korea. It said that the impressive thing about him was that he always stands up to greet patients and shakes hands with them. The natural thing looks special in Korea. Koreans think doctors are a privileged class, not one that has to serve people.




In fact, there are also many problems in the US medical system such as expensive medical bills due to the private medical insurance. However, it seemed that they knew how they should interact with patients and respect them.




In Korea, I had to go the pediatrics and OB/GYN very often because my son had to get shots and was suffering from colds and eczema, also I got pregnant. I was often offended by unkind doctors. Of course, there was not one doctor who stood up to greet me or said hello to me, even worse they don't even glance at me before I sit and begin to explain my complaints. Some of them are even very reluctant to explain about my conditions, and don't even say anything before I ask! After several unpleasant meetings with Korean doctors I decided to ask friends and neighbors and visit only kind doctors regardless of their skills or locations. Luckily I found a kind obstetrician and gave birth to my little baby, but it's still hard to find a good pediatrician.

In Korea,many people most doctor has a kind of conceit. They think most doctor think of us not patient but customer. I also met terrible, unkind doctor. I doubted whether they really want to heal us or not. I've never been to U.S. But I'd been Canada. In Canada, hospital bill is also too expensive. One of my friends fell of in skiing ground. Even though his arm was not comfortable, he ran off the hospital because he worried about hospital fee too much. There are both benefits and drawbacks in the world.

My friend would tell me that the service in the hospital is quite a lot different from that of here. she had a baby in the US which was as double times as the cost of a natural birth in Korea. Of course it refers to the net cost of being delievered and hospitalized. However, my friend always placed an emphasis on the considerate doctors towards maternals there in US. It's obvious that Korean Ob/gy is significantly getting improved and advanced, but still many women doubt about it. I hope I would see some real service here in my country.

Yes, Korean doctor must chancge. These days, many hospital is decorated gorgeously to draw people. However, facility is not the most important thing. The most important thing is doctor's effort to treat patient with warm heart. Doctor's warm comment can give big relief and courage to patients and their family. I read from the magazine that Sometimes, Doctor's warm comment is better than a pill