SOK Clinic ~ Notes of a Native-Speaking English Teacher

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 -

SOK Clinic

I spent my first six months in Korea battling illness. I was sick all the time. I thought it could be from the kids, or my apartment, or the utensils at the kimbap restaurant, or some mystery illness.

When I finally broke down and saw a doctor, I went to the Korean University Medical Center. It's the tall building just north of Gojan station. I wandered around inside looking for the information desk. The woman behind the desk took my symptoms and sent me to the admissions counter, only to have them tell me that they wouldn't treat me. They explained that they are a Level 3 medical facility. That means they only accept patients who have a referral from a smaller, neighborhood clinic.

When the admissions clerk told me that I couldn't see a doctor, he said it to someone who could barely hold his head up. I was the sickest I've been in years and have been desperately trying to avoid seeing a doctor. When he told me I needed to go to another clinic, I asked him where. "Anywhere", he said. He told me that he wasn't allowed to make recommendations. It was like a strange version of Who's On First! Because he was the only English speaker I could find, I kept pressing him for an answer. Finally, he gave me a piece of paper with an address and a tiny map. I was grateful.

SOK
경기도 안산시
고잔동 529-1 4층

I hailed a cab and was on my way. Since maps in Korea are almost never to scale, I didn't realize that my ride would only be just a few blocks.

When I arrived, they took my information but told me that the doctors were about to go on their lunch break. I would have to wait about an hour. Meanwhile, there were quite a few people in the waiting room. I didn't enjoy being so close to so many other sick people. I went outside for some fresh air.

The doctor and the nurses were very kind, although they didn't speak much English. I was able to get a prescription and a shot. The total cost of the visit and the meds was under $10. That's enough to make any American feel better!

The clinic is a 내과. That means that they can take care of people with coughs, colds, and stomach problems. In addition, I noticed that this clinic had at least a few more specialties.

Hours:

Weekdays: 8:30 - 7:00

Saturday: 8:30 - 4:30

The doctors will take a lunch break between 1:00 - 2:00. They will also stop seeing patients about 90 minutes before closing time. The closing time reflects when they actually leave.

Here are a few (highly idealized!) pictures taken from: Health.Naver.com