I’m just glad they no longer see me as a drug-addicted, disease-infested criminal English teacher anymore … hehe. Although I love how the first thing they said to me when I went up to the counter to get the forms was, “English teacher, right?” I was so happy this time to be able to say “No.” 
Since my sister is a doctor, she provided me with a Health Certificate from the hospital (including the HIV test) in order to get the work permit here in Taiwan. I was surprised they didn’t ask me to have it authenticated by the TECO back home and took it as it was.
As for my wife, she did the medical check up here at the Adventist Hospital. I recall that she needed to produce stool and urine samples, which the hospital misplaced so that she needed to deliver another one. No X-Ray needed for her.
Crikey !
I have a wooden stool at home. Should I take that along? I guess I could chip a piece off the side if they asked for a “stool sample.”
[quote=“LazyMF”]Well, I don’t blame them. I’ve met so many English teachers here that I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw them, let alone with children.
The stereotype is here to stay, and there’s nothing we can do about it… except not teach English 
[/quote]
ha, ha, ha, yeah your all a bunch of frrriiiiiiiiiigggen … nah, just kidding. Bless the Taiwanese for accepting just anybody who can speak English it adds an amusing spice of life to the foriegn community here. And the discrimination is in the right place. the pocket book and not the classroom.
Chou
wooden stool…
why didn’t I think of that earlier? how genius…
ARC-type. HO HO HO. I feel like Joseph Campbell.
In any case, how much does a ARC health check in Taiwan run for? I’m hoping to get an idea so I don’t get reamed next week.
Thanks for any info.
William
The exact cost depends on the hospital. Check out www.tealit.com
I believe the range is 1000 to 1600 NT.
gah gahg ghaghahaha.
like… sixty bucks? SIXTY BUCKS?
I priced it out here and it was going to run about 400 dollars.
Hahahahahahaahahah.
Jesus christ. Maybe I should have done my eye-checkup and bought my glasses in Taiwan too. Just out of curiousity, how much does that run?
Get your dentistry done here as well.
I have a friend who got a root canal done in Taiwan.
Bad news was it was the wrong tooth. 
Good news was that the western dentist that checked it said it was lovely work.
It’s only $630 at Ren Ai Hospital.
Dentistry is good and cheap here.
Thanks for the info, guys (Gals too, but the internet can be sorta androgenous.)
Note for others: I don’t know if things are getting stricter but I just took the comprehensive health test at Ren’Ai in case I needed it and they refused to let me provide a stool sample the following day, nor take one at home. I don’t know whether this is due to laziness or resource constraints somehow because I don’t see how this would prevent cheating.
I’ll find out what happens when I go back tomorrow but for safety I would recommend you go very early in case you have trouble ‘performing’.
The nice lady on the 12th floor took my blood pressure several different ways until I got the ‘right’ result so I guess HIV is probably the only thing that could get you rejected.
[quote=“almas john”]They are testing for AIDS, and not serious about the drugs thing. As discussed in a previous thread they don’t test for marijuana. Apart from AIDS it is a rubber stamp job and a half-warm corpse could get through it.
I remember asking a doctor if he had ever failed anyone. He hadn’t.
They charge $916 for the working ARC test that includes HIV/AIDS/blood test, stool parasite, chest X-ray, dermatology (some doctor looks at you for ten seconds and stamps your form), BP/height/weight/eyes.
Does anyone recall filling out the old health test form which had a section with the ominous words
A bit off topic but non-the-less:
I recall the first health check here about 5 years a go. I obtained two bottles. I wasn’t sure if they wanted a piss sample, a stool sample or a more personal DNA sample. The second bottle left me with no doubts. I sat for a moment and got more pissed (crapped) off with every moment. I dug in my jacket pocket and found my treasured Snickers bar, complete with nuts, and gave them a “sample” Guess what? I’m still here. Must have looked “good?”
As for the piss test, no problem. I never seem to have a problem in that area. Of course, my requsest for 5 more bottles may have raised an eyebrow . . . but what the hell.
Just renewed my contract for another year which means I just went for my secong health check. No stool or urine samples were required for either check. I live in Taichung county.
I also took the test and no stool or urine samples were asked of me. I went to the counter for them, but was told there I had no slip for it (I had been given slips for the blood test, chest X-ray and general health check). Even so, I was worried that there was some mistake and so asked my Chinese friend later to read my receipt, but no urine or stool test was mentioned.
I am from the US and took the “teacher form” medical exam at RenAi Hospital, Taipei City.
Do you recall what their hours were? I have to go tomorrow for my university application exam, and I think I remember it was mornings between 10 and noon and then afternoons 1:30 until ? Since you’re not supposed to eat beforehand, I’d like to go in the morning, just don’t want to go too early or too late.
What would be your reason for not eating?
Well, in the US you can’t eat before blood tests and such, but I guess they don’t care about it here. No one asked me if I’d eaten, and I didn’t volunteer any info, and I’d had breakfast and coffee.
I thought I would update the information for Renai hospital in Taipei. They have changed the location of the form pick and drop off area - again. You pick up the forms (triplicate - as before) in the main lobby at the back of the room. Large double doors. Go through the main door and make an immediate left to pick up your forms. Again, three pictures are still needed. Fill out the forms and glue the pics at the convenient counter in the main physical area. They have glue etc. for your pics. Cute new procedure handout (with crappy English). Take your forms out to the main lobby to cashier 11. No number is needed, just que up. She will review the forms and mark them as OK and give you a que number for the physical. Return to the physical room at the back of the room. Wait for your number and present yourself for weight, height, and vision test and a couple of inane questions from the doc in residence. Then take your form back out to Cashier 11 and pay her the new fee of 1,023 NT! and go to the 2d floor. Take a number and have blood drawn. Then on to floor 3 for the chest x-ray. Finished. From entry to exit was a record for me of 1 hour 5 minutes. Slow day.
Pick up the completed exam forms in 8 days. Last, I asked if they were going to shorten this to 7 so that everything can be done on a scheduled day off but that seems to have not changed probably won’t.
BTW, the afternoon hours on the door show starting at 1:30 but I was able to pick up the forms at 1:00 (but not before) so I could get them completed before 1:30 when the physical people showed up.
Basically, I think it has gotten better. I liked the little annex out back that they used to use but I hated having to go up to the 7th? floor like last time and then bouncing from office to office. The staff was efficient and kind. Also, they now have a pink extra form for all of you who don’t know how one catches the HIV and a signature line that allows you to agree to the testing and the form also tells you all the terrible things they are going to do to you if your test comes back positive.