I sent an application off to Kojen (I’m currently in the States), and received a general info email from them, outlining their hiring procedures etc. The email says (amongst other things) that all interviews take place in Taiwan, and implies that one has to be there in order to be hired. I was wondering whether or not this is actually the case, as I’ve seen a few posts here talking about securing work with Kojen and other chain schools from overseas.
Part of the reason I wanted to check, is also to find out whether it’s possible to get medical clearance for pre-existing conditions and the like through the embassy (or whatever they’re called) prior to arrival/work, if one already has an offer of employment. Last thing i want to do is get there and be told “sorry, close but no cigar!”
I’ve seen Hess ads for recruiting from overseas but haven’t noticed any for Kojen.
Not sure what your concern is about the health check. The only two things they really check are chest x-rays for TB and an HIV test, either of which is going to be a no-go. They did take my blood pressure and checked my vision with my glasses on. The rest they just checked off without even giving me a look.
So if it’s not HIV or TB, I wouldn’t even bring it up.
Haha! Me too. They may as well change the name from “health check” to “HIV/TB check.” Come to think of it, they checked me for syphilis too, but maybe that’s just because they thought I looked worrisome.
So just to confirm, is there a point during the health checks in Taiwan where they asked you about non-specific pre-existing medical conditions in general? Or are they not concerned with anything other than what you’ve mentioned (HIV/TB/communicable diseases)?
Just that I’m finding it hard to find info about this, and want to make sure I’m not caught out should something go wrong (i.e. you didn’t mention this, therefore it’s not covered by NHI etc…)
So just to confirm, is there a point during the health checks in Taiwan where they asked you about non-specific pre-existing medical conditions in general? Or are they not concerned with anything other than what you’ve mentioned (HIV/TB/communicable diseases)?
Just that I’m finding it hard to find info about this, and want to make sure I’m not caught out should something go wrong (i.e. you didn’t mention this, therefore it’s not covered by NHI etc…)
Cheers,
Chris[/quote]
NHI is a completely different thing. I know it must be a weird concept for people in the US , but as far as I know, pre-existing conditions shouldn’t make any difference for that.
There are some other threads around about the health check stuff–I think Craig and Barfomcgee covered most of it though I thought the blood test was for a couple of other things too, such as opiates. Anyway, from the sound of it you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
The doc asked me if I felt sick. That was it.[/quote]
Same thing, plus some blood.
I checked out the paperwork before I delivered it to my boss. All I was tested for was HIV. Just because I told the dr I felt ok, I’m apparently free of all diseases and mental problems too >.>‘’
That’s what they’ve done for me the last couple times too. Which is fortunate, because last time I’d had a bad reaction to accidentally taking my wife’s ear medicine, and my entire chest, back and thighs were covered in huge scaly red welts!
Also I keep getting crazy readings from the blood pressure machines. No-one seems to mind.
First time: Blood test for HIV, Syph, Hep B. A mate of mine was refused ARC because he tested pos for Hep B and didn’t even know he was a carrier.
Urine: Narcotics. Cannabis, Cocaine, MDMA, Amphetamines, Opiates. Don’t take any medication with Codiene in it for 5 days prior to test.
Stool sample: Intestinal parasites. Some people have tested positive without even knowing they were infected. Safe to get a preliminary test.
X-ray: Tuberculosis
If you are on an ARC, you don’t do the stool and urine testing after the first time, unless applying for an APRC.
[quote=“jimipresley”]First time: Blood test for HIV, Syph, Hep B. A mate of mine was refused ARC because he tested pos for Hep B and didn’t even know he was a carrier.
Urine: Narcotics. Cannabis, Cocaine, MDMA, Amphetamines, Opiates. Don’t take any medication with Codiene in it for 5 days prior to test.
Stool sample: Intestinal parasites. Some people have tested positive without even knowing they were infected. Safe to get a preliminary test.
X-ray: Tuberculosis
If you are on an ARC, you don’t do the stool and urine testing after the first time, unless applying for an APRC.[/quote]
I’ve never done a stool or urine sample in the 3 times I’ve done the health check. I’d heard they did them once upon a time, and I think they still do for blue collar laborers from SE Asia, but not English teachers.
How ironic one would be tested and deported for hepatitis. According to my Taiwanese partner, hepatitis is quite common here.
Doubt it. It’s the national government that sets the rules on this, right? Now I know the medical check requirements are different for teachers than it is for “foreign laborers”, but the teacher medical check should be the same in one place as it is in the other.
If anything, the requirements may change over time, but not over zip codes…
It seems like it’s basically up to the doctor performing the medical check. They’re obviously supposed to check all of the things on the list, but many appear too lazy to do so. Perhaps they just assume that most Western people are healthy?
It’s worth noting that failing some aspect of the medical test does not necessarily disqualify you for a work permit. There have been people who tested true for drugs, or AIDS, or other STDs and were able to get their permit anyway.
Knowing this, it’s likely the hospitals just don’t bother administrating all the tests like “Ears: Normal / Abnormal” (!?) that aren’t gonna make a difference anyway.
[quote=“CraigTPE”][quote=“jimipresley”]First time: Blood test for HIV, Syph, Hep B. A mate of mine was refused ARC because he tested pos for Hep B and didn’t even know he was a carrier.
Urine: Narcotics. Cannabis, Cocaine, MDMA, Amphetamines, Opiates. Don’t take any medication with Codiene in it for 5 days prior to test.
Stool sample: Intestinal parasites. Some people have tested positive without even knowing they were infected. Safe to get a preliminary test.
X-ray: Tuberculosis
If you are on an ARC, you don’t do the stool and urine testing after the first time, unless applying for an APRC.[/quote]
I’ve never done a stool or urine sample in the 3 times I’ve done the health check. I’d heard they did them once upon a time, and I think they still do for blue collar laborers from SE Asia, but not English teachers.
How ironic one would be tested and deported for hepatitis. According to my Taiwanese partner, hepatitis is quite common here.[/quote]
I’ve done a urine test every time. The nurse told me all women had to do it as a pregnancy test before they do the chest x-ray to check for TB.
, but as far as I know, pre-existing conditions shouldn’t make any difference for that.