Can I get a PS job in Korea with these health issues?

[MattyDub]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! To sum up, it seems like it's very common not to disclose health issues, and that many people in fact advise against it, unless something is going to come up later or interfere with teaching. I honestly don't think anything I have would interfere with teaching. I do think my co-workers will figure out at some point that I am a bit hard of hearing, since I will ask people to repeat themselves from time-to-time, but I think that's pretty normal. There are a lot of people with undiagnosed hearing loss (just from listening to loud music!).

I think I feel comfortable not disclosing the medication I take for the thyroid. I can take a year's worth with me, and maybe put it in an Ibuprofen bottle in case customs searches me.

My advice to you is this: do not disclose any health information whatsoever. I think your biggest mistake was to disclose your dust allergy. Right after winter, much of Korea is affected by yellow dust from China. A lot of my friends have gotten sick from it. And if you have health issues already (usually asthma and allergies) it'll only make them worse. If they find out about your health conditions, it'll be once you've already arrived. Your goal is to get to Korea, is it not? I am a very honest person and it kills me to advise you to be dishonest. But in this economy, you gotta do what you gotta do. I wish you the best!

Thank you for this. I am a very honest person, too, and I am finding this process painful, but it does make a lot of sense considering my experiences. I think you're totally right about the yellow dust season -- I hadn't thought about that!

If they find out about my health conditions once I'm already there, will they kick me out of the program? That is the threat that they make, and it's why I disclosed so much originally. Is it an empty threat?

Hi Writerly,
I usually don't respond to these threads, but I can speak directly to your concerns.  I too have low thyroid and have to take Eltroxin every day, and also have inherited high-cholesterol, which requires another daily pill.  I have worked at hagwons, and public schools in Seoul, and my medical conditions have NEVER been an issue.  You also do not need to bring a year's supply of medicine with you (although I did too when I first arrived).  Thyroid problems are very common in Korea, and the medication is very inexpensive.  You will just need to go to a doctor's office, explain you history, and he'll give you a blood test, confirming your need for medication (this is solely for insurance purposes).  Your medication will be covered with the National Health Care provided to all public school employees.  As others have mentioned, there is absolutely NO NEED whatsoever to indicate these "issues" on any application.  You have no need to worry.  Believe me.  Better to be informed though I suppose!  Good luck and enjoy Korea!

[Jozigirl]

You also do not need to bring a year's supply of medicine with you (although I did too when I first arrived).  Thyroid problems are very common in Korea, and the medication is very inexpensive.  You will just need to go to a doctor's office, explain you history, and he'll give you a blood test, confirming your need for medication (this is solely for insurance purposes).  Your medication will be covered with the National Health Care provided to all public school employees. 

Although the thyroid medication here is cheap and is covered by insurance anyway, I think depends on what medication you're taking as to whether it's best to bring a year's supply or not.  I initially brought 4 months worth of meds with me, got a new script here that was supposedly that same contents and ended up asking my parents to mail a new script to me for the remainder of my contract because my body didn't respond well to the change of medication.  Although the doctor here could easily have changed my script, I didn't want to potentially spend another 6 - 8 months trying to stabilise myself on new medication when I was already okay on the original script that my doctor in SA had prescribed.  It's just another point to consider.

[writerly]

I usually don't respond to these threads, but I can speak directly to your concerns.  I too have low thyroid and have to take Eltroxin every day, and also have inherited high-cholesterol, which requires another daily pill.  I have worked at hagwons, and public schools in Seoul, and my medical conditions have NEVER been an issue.  You also do not need to bring a year's supply of medicine with you (although I did too when I first arrived).  Thyroid problems are very common in Korea, and the medication is very inexpensive.  You will just need to go to a doctor's office, explain you history, and he'll give you a blood test, confirming your need for medication (this is solely for insurance purposes).  Your medication will be covered with the National Health Care provided to all public school employees.  As others have mentioned, there is absolutely NO NEED whatsoever to indicate these "issues" on any application.  You have no need to worry.  Believe me.  Better to be informed though I suppose!  Good luck and enjoy Korea!

This is very reassuring. Thank you so much!

[writerly]

So I sent my revised EPIK application to my recruiter last night (I didn't make the EPIK deadline, but I'm on the wait list) with no health issues disclosed, and I got this email back from my recruiter:

"Thank you for emailing me your revised application.  I noticed that you changed your self medical assessment.  I recommend you re-evaluate these changes.  If you falsify information on your application, you could be subject to deportation at your own cost later if something is discovered during a medical exam."

Advice?

[Jozigirl]

Did you change everything or did you only change a few or the more minor things?  If it's only minor omissions, I'd tell him that you understand the risk but are prepared to proceed witht that application anyway - make up something about your doctor advised you on which issues to mention. 

At the end of the day, we can provide all the advice in the world but no one can tell you what to decide. I did disclose everything - even the minor issues - on my application and I was hired fairly easily through direct placement.  You have to decide for yourself if you're prepared to take the risk or not...

[MattyDub]

So I sent my revised EPIK application to my recruiter last night (I didn't make the EPIK deadline, but I'm on the wait list) with no health issues disclosed, and I got this email back from my recruiter:

"Thank you for emailing me your revised application.  I noticed that you changed your self medical assessment.  I recommend you re-evaluate these changes.  If you falsify information on your application, you could be subject to deportation at your own cost later if something is discovered during a medical exam."

Advice?

Go with a different recruiter.  You would only "be subject to deportation" if your medical issues got in the way of you working.  Recruiters are a dime a dozen; the one you're dealing with sounds like they are just trying to cover themselves and don't really know how minor your medical issues are.  No need to explain anything.  I'd just apply through one of the hundreds of other agencies offering the same position.  Footprints I hear is a good agency, as well as Korvia.  Best of luck!

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

Yes, unfortunately, you need to use new recruiters if you want to send your applications without disclosing your health issues (which I also strongly reccomend - not disclosing - as long as you truly believe it wont affect you at work.)

I'd be applying for jobs other than ps too if I were you, they have too many applicants already and are allready full I heard.

You can always be on the waiting list and maybe get offered a job a bit later where the NET didn't show up or left or was fired etc shortly after starting and there are sometimes ps jobs that hire outside of the staple hiring times of Sept and March, but good to have more than one iron in the fire.

[travelinpantsgirl]

So I sent my revised EPIK application to my recruiter last night (I didn't make the EPIK deadline, but I'm on the wait list) with no health issues disclosed, and I got this email back from my recruiter:

"Thank you for emailing me your revised application.  I noticed that you changed your self medical assessment.  I recommend you re-evaluate these changes.  If you falsify information on your application, you could be subject to deportation at your own cost later if something is discovered during a medical exam."

Advice?

Apply at a different intake with a different recruiter. What country are you from?

For everyone else. If the applicant has already begun working with a recruiter and has had the application submitted even once during this intake (even if it was rejected) they are stuck with this recruiter until the next intake when they can choose someone else. You cannot submit an app with several recruiters, it gets your application disqualified.
If you're from the US I can give you my recruiter's info who will inevitably tell you to remove unnecessary (to reveal) health issues,

[writerly]

Did you change everything or did you only change a few or the more minor things?  If it's only minor omissions, I'd tell him that you understand the risk but are prepared to proceed witht that application anyway - make up something about your doctor advised you on which issues to mention. 

At the end of the day, we can provide all the advice in the world but no one can tell you what to decide. I did disclose everything - even the minor issues - on my application and I was hired fairly easily through direct placement.  You have to decide for yourself if you're prepared to take the risk or not...

I only had the minor hearing impairment and the thyroid medication on this application, and I deleted everything. Maybe I would still get a job even with disclosing, but from what I'm reading here it seems unlikely. It seems I should not disclose if I want to be seriously considered for a PS job, and, as long as my medical conditions don't interfere with teaching (which they definitely don't), my employers in Korea won't care even if they find out once I get there. These are not things that would be found on the initial medical exam.

Go with a different recruiter.... Footprints I hear is a good agency, as well as Korvia.  Best of luck!

Thank you! I'm with Footprints now, but I think I will try to apply through Korvia.

I'd be applying for jobs other than ps too if I were you, they have too many applicants already and are allready full I heard.

Thank you! I'm starting to look at hagwons as well, and I'm trying to find out which recruiters hire for the other PS programs I haven't applied to yet (like CEPIK, Chungcheongnam-do province).

Apply at a different intake with a different recruiter. What country are you from?

I'm from Canada. I actually haven't applied to EPIK yet. I missed the deadline (long story), and am on the wait list with my recruiter, Footprints. So if they open applications back up, then they would receive my application, but they don't have it yet. I was trying to change it before EPIK received it, but I guess I'll have to go with a different recruiter if I want to do that.

[writerly]

At this point I'm starting to think I will just look into hagwons. I contacted Korvia and they're not accepting applications for the fall for EPIK. They said that EPIK has accepted more applicants than they have positions for, so they won't be re-opening applications. If that's true, it means that my EPIK application on the wait list at Footprints doesn't matter, since it won't get to EPIK anyway.

If anyone has leads on good hagwon jobs, please let me know! I will get a couple of recruiters to start looking, and I will start looking at job boards myself as well.

If anyone knows which recruitment agency recruits for Chungbuk or the other cities/provinces (other than Incheon, Ulsan, and Jeolla), please let me know. Thanks!

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

Well writerly, let me tell you that you will not find it at all difficult to get a hakwan job!  I assure you that you could probably aplly how I always have done - go to eslcafe (sorry mods) and write an email with cover leter, pic, resume, passport scan etc attached and bcc it to every recruiter you find - and have a job to start within a month, heck if not within the next two weeks.

There honeslty ARE good hakwans out there and I have worked at 3 of them.  The first was an SLP which I only didn't last at as I was a terrible teacher and classroom manager back then in my 1st esl job.  SLP will have you working with many other foriegners for company and are solid and reliable.  Another good one was LMC and I only left there due to spilt shifts, which I do not reccomend.  I work at a Jungchal now and location and being the only foriegner aside, they are a decent chain.

The key things in making a good hakwan job and which you need to take into consideration imho are

1.  Having other foriengers to work with, it makes the day pass so much better.
2.  Not being in a rural or isolated area.  Either go for a major city like Seoul, Daegu or Busan where you will easily get a good social life (I'm in an isolated area now and do not like it) or even a suburb of Seoul such as Suwon or my favorite - Ilsan.
3.  Not a heavy workload kindy or split shifts, as those jobs drain you.  A good afternoon ele and mid school gig is better I feel.
4.  Be it a chain or an independant hakwan, the key is to speak with others that work or have worked there via phone or email and if they say they're happy there, chances are it's a good place to work.

Hope that helps, and good luck with your job search!

I like my current job better than my last public school job, though I do only teach around 23 hrs a week.

[writerly]

There honeslty ARE good hakwans out there and I have worked at 3 of them. 

The key things in making a good hakwan job and which you need to take into consideration imho are

1.  Having other foriengers to work with, it makes the day pass so much better.
2.  Not being in a rural or isolated area.  Either go for a major city like Seoul, Daegu or Busan where you will easily get a good social life (I'm in an isolated area now and do not like it) or even a suburb of Seoul such as Suwon or my favorite - Ilsan.
3.  Not a heavy workload kindy or split shifts, as those jobs drain you.  A good afternoon ele and mid school gig is better I feel.
4.  Be it a chain or an independant hakwan, the key is to speak with others that work or have worked there via phone or email and if they say they're happy there, chances are it's a good place to work.

Thanks so much! I really appreciate this.

Is it usual to receive your last pay and completion bonus if you work for a hagwon, or at least a good hagwon?

Through contacts, I've found a hagwon hiring is Tongyeong. I'm waiting for more information from the teacher who I would be replacing, but it sounds like she was happy there. I know it's a smaller city, but there are about 40 foreign teachers in the city and I'm told it's medium-sized by Korean standards, so I think I would be okay there. I'm prepared for a fairly solitary M-F if necessary, and I can always go to the big cities on the weekends (I have a friend in Daegu, for example). Do you know much about Tongyeong? It sounds very pretty, a great place for walking and hiking.

What do you mean by "heavy workload kindy"? Kindergarten? This job would be working with all ages, from 5-18 and one adult class.

[Maayacola]

I have renal failure and I was still able to aquire employment. The key is you DO have to be honest!

[writerly]

I have renal failure and I was still able to aquire employment. The key is you DO have to be honest!

Where were you employed? With a hagwon or a PS? Did they ask you for more information when you told them about your condition? What was the process they used?

[travelinpantsgirl]

Writerly:

Are you in a hurry to come here? Why not wait until February intake and go with Korvia for EPIK? It's better to come at the beginning of the school year because your contract always ends with your students going on to the next grade, so you are not taking over from another NET in the middle of the year. I came in the Fall but I would have preferred Feb (if had a choice, but I was in a hurry).
Then you can start fresh with a new recruiter. My recruiter erased everything I wrote medical related and I was uneasy, but she ended up being right.

[writerly]

Are you in a hurry to come here? Why not wait until February intake and go with Korvia for EPIK? It's better to come at the beginning of the school year because your contract always ends with your students going on to the next grade, so you are not taking over from another NET in the middle of the year. I came in the Fall but I would have preferred Feb (if had a choice, but I was in a hurry).
Then you can start fresh with a new recruiter. My recruiter erased everything I wrote medical related and I was uneasy, but she ended up being right.

The school year starts in February? I assumed it started in September (like in North America). Yes, I am in a hurry to get to Korea. If something doesn't work out, I suppose I can look into volunteer positions (though I don't have a lot of savings) or temporary work for the fall, but I'm scheduled to be out of my apartment and have everything tied up here for the fall. I've been planning this since December and am quite anxious to get going.

[firebreaker]

So I sent my revised EPIK application to my recruiter last night (I didn't make the EPIK deadline, but I'm on the wait list) with no health issues disclosed, and I got this email back from my recruiter:

"Thank you for emailing me your revised application.  I noticed that you changed your self medical assessment.  I recommend you re-evaluate these changes.  If you falsify information on your application, you could be subject to deportation at your own cost later if something is discovered during a medical exam."

Advice?

Looks like they called your bluff.  Your only option with EPIK is to tell them your conditions are under control via common over the counter medicine and do not hinder you from doing your job as well as, if not better than someone without these conditions.

If they still won't continue to process your application, which is likely, then you can still work for public schools, but you must apply directly to specific offices of education. EPIK is more or less in charge of screening applicants, but they do not continuously speak to individual offices of Education. Apply to individual offices of education with your "revised" application and you'll get in no problem. Footprints recruiting has a lot of these in bigger cities.

Also, you stand a better chance at getting a public school in the smaller provinces outside the typical EPIK hiring phases, but you have to dig around for them. Recruiters are good for finding these because they are contracted a certain number of positions.

[travelinpantsgirl]

Are you in a hurry to come here? Why not wait until February intake and go with Korvia for EPIK? It's better to come at the beginning of the school year because your contract always ends with your students going on to the next grade, so you are not taking over from another NET in the middle of the year. I came in the Fall but I would have preferred Feb (if had a choice, but I was in a hurry).
Then you can start fresh with a new recruiter. My recruiter erased everything I wrote medical related and I was uneasy, but she ended up being right.

The school year starts in February? I assumed it started in September (like in North America). Yes, I am in a hurry to get to Korea. If something doesn't work out, I suppose I can look into volunteer positions (though I don't have a lot of savings) or temporary work for the fall, but I'm scheduled to be out of my apartment and have everything tied up here for the fall. I've been planning this since December and am quite anxious to get going.

Yes, in Korea the school begins on or about March 1 and runs through July (with camps running running through August. I agree with Firebreaker, try the individual offices of education. Also, if you are not partial to the city and can manage your conditions on your own, why not apply to Jeollanamdo positions. There is actually a new post from yesterday or the day before recruiting for the area. You can apply there.

[writerly]

Yes, in Korea the school begins on or about March 1 and runs through July (with camps running running through August. I agree with Firebreaker, try the individual offices of education. Also, if you are not partial to the city and can manage your conditions on your own, why not apply to Jeollanamdo positions. There is actually a new post from yesterday or the day before recruiting for the area. You apply there.

I've applied to the Jeolla positions through a recruiter already and the board wasn't interested in pursuing my application. (These look like the same ones, though they mention distance education). I don't imagine I would be able to apply twice. 

How does one find out which other individual offices of education are hiring, and what recruiters they use? I tried contacting a few recruiters to ask, but only one replied and they only do EPIK. I've already applied to Incheon, Ulsan, and Jeolla. Thanks in advance for any info!