Medical Forms

Note: The information below is based on the experience of myself and fellow 2024 SK ETAs; a working, unofficial list. I can only guarantee that the information written below is accurate for the 2023-2024 grant year, as procedures, timelines, etc may change over the coming years.

The medical clearance form is the same for IIE and KAEC. However! You can submit the form to IIE any time throughout the year (from the time you receive the doc until November; they technically have October/September as the deadline but IIE is relatively flexible in due dates), but KAEC requires the medical form to have been filled out AFTER September 1. KAEC also requires a drug test, TB test, and vaccination records, whereas IIE just needs the main medical form. Wait to hear from KAEC before doing the TB test, drug test, etc because they have specific forms and requirements for those tests. Some grantees submitted their form to IIE in April with no issues, and some waited until November/December once the in-processing began.

Main medical form:

• The form is comprised of two parts: one filled out by you, and one filled out by the physician. Make sure you have fully filled out your section before heading to your appointment. The medical form does NOT need to be filled out by your primary care provider, so if you're pressed for time you can run over to CVS minuteclinic or some other urgent care to get your form filled out.

• You will need to return to the physician 2-3 times: First to get the main form filled out and get your TB test. Second within 48-72 hours to get the TB test read and signed off. Third in a week or so to get your drug test results read and signed off. Note: Reading tests does not always qualify for an appointment and you may be able to do a [free] walk-in for those second and third times. Check with your physician/clinic to get more info on that and potentially save some money!

• Approx price of general physical through Minuteclinic (without insurance): $99

Drug test:

• The accreditation status of your drug testing center must be verified before getting tested and the proof must be forwarded to KAEC. Many of us ETAs used Quest Diagnostics and had no problem with the accreditation.

• Must be done after September 1

• Make sure you request the test for personal use and not for employment purposes

• At-home drug tests are not accepted by KAEC. Instead, drug tests must be done in-person at either a hospital, clinic, or nationally accredited drug testing center

• According to KAEC, "Nationally accredited drug testing centers can be found in one of these three databases: College of American Pathologists (CAP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Department of Transportation (DOT). You can also check their website or call in advance to ask about accreditation. ETAs have been tested at independent LabCorp and Quest Diagnostic labs; tests can be purchased through websites such as U.S. Drug Test Centers and other “accredited” drug testing websites"

• There are four very specific drugs that the form requires you be tested for: methamphetamines, opiates (opium), marijuana (THC), and cocaine. It is very important that every single one of these is on the test otherwise you will have to go back and do it again, so make sure to double and triple check everything on the form before you leave the center. Some drug test centers will write different names for the drugs tested so be on the lookout and write a note if it's labeled differently. For example, when I did my drug test, the result for cocaine was determined through the presence of benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite commonly tested for in cocaine. However, since "cocaine" was not written explicitly in the results, KAEC rejected my drug test and said to make sure cocaine was included in the test. I did some googling and figured out the sitch with benzoylecgonine, and once I clarified with KAEC, my test was accepted without having to return to the center and re-do the test. All ended well, but let this story serve as a warning to you to carefully read over your test and make sure that everything is exactly as it must be as stated by the KAEC on the form.

• Quest Diagnostics took about a week from my taking the test to sending the results to me/my physician

TB test:

• KAEC requires a very specific type of TB test called the tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD). It is a skin test where they inject a solution under the skin of your arm and you return 48-72 hours to see if there was a reaction (no reaction = negative for TB)

• Just like the drug test, at-home TB tests are not accepted by KAEC and should be done at a hospital or clinic

• Must be done after September 1

• Approx price of TB test through Minuteclinic (without insurance): $40

• According to KAEC, "If you have a positive PPD skin test indicating latent TB, you will need to submit additional documentation proving you do not have tuberculosis. Depending on your results, you may need additional document to be eligible for the award. If you have active TB you will be ineligible for the award." However. There was one ETA in my cohort who had latent/inactive TB with the relevant documentation, but were informed that because of that result they would no longer be eligible for the grant and were removed. I have no advice on this front, just wanted to share that ETA's experience

Medications, mental health:

• If you take medications or have any specific mental health diagnoses, you are required to declare that on the medical form. Since Korea can be known to have a stigma against mental health and medications, especially in the workplace, be clear in your phrasing your diagnosis does/will not interfere with your ability to teach and work during your grant period.

• You may not be able to fully answer the section on “your plan to acquire OTCs and support while in your host country,” not because of the stigma, but because there is no way to know what city you will be placed in until a couple weeks into orientation in January. This could make it tricky to know what local resources you’ll have, especially if you don’t have a solid Korean language base to help navigate medical resources that likely won’t have much English translation the more rural/far from large cities you are placed. KAEC knows this and will keep it in mind when reading your form. But just keep that in mind when thinking of how you'll write your “plan"

• Bringing medications into Korea: Not for the medical form, but for when you depart, check with the Narcotics Policy Division of Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to ensure your OTC/prescription isn’t a controlled substance in SK. The US and SK have different laws about different medications, so before packing any drugs in your suitcase to bring through customs, double check to see if you’ll need to apply for a “narcotics bring-in permit” through the KMFDS website and Korean Customs website. I couldn’t find specific information on my medication so I emailed the KMFDS at narcotics@korea.kr to double check and they said it is not a controlled substance and I will not need a bring-in permit. However they also said “since our department only handles controlled drugs, you may closely check @ www.customs.go.kr and use their Q&A section or call #82.125 or e-mail customs21@korea.kr (Incheon airport terminal 1) or to 040a1@korea.kr ( Incheon airport terminal 2) to check any requirements / steps needed in order to bring in those general medicines into our country.” Good to know.

Vaccinations:

"According to the Republic of Korea Government regulations, all individuals working in occupations involving children and adolescents (such as school and kindergarten (daycare) teachers) must have received four vaccinations (below) and their immunization records for these vaccines must be up to date. The following immunizations must be listed, series complete, and up to date. If you or your provider do not know your immunization history or the recommended adult immunization schedule, you can find the US CDC schedule here

• Tdap (Tetanus / Diptheria / Pertussis)

• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)

• VAR (Varicella)

• IIV (Influenza)

• COVID-19 (WHO-approved vaccinations only. 2-shots of Moderna, Pfizer, etc.; 1-shot of J&J)

You do not need to get the Japanese Encephalitis vaccination series in the

U.S. If you want to get inoculated, you can do so after you have arrived at your placement in Korea."

A note sent from KAEC regarding medical costs:

"Guidance for Low-Income or Uninsured Participants

• KAEC/Fulbright does not provide funding or reimbursement to ETAs for required medical documents. It is expected that ETAs will have a U.S. domestic health insurance that will cover all required testing and documentation. However, we recognize that not all ETAs may be fully insured or may not have funds to pay for tests post-graduation. Please note the following best practices that we have collected over the years.

• Look into non-profit and public clinics that provide the required health services. You can find these clinics using Google but may also be able to inquire with your local public health department for tips on where to go. Alternatively, you may also want to search the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ HHS Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program that has locations with sliding fee scales all around the country. They have a convenient search engine that can be found here.

• If free options are unavailable in your region, ask the clinic/hospital if they have a “graduated payment plan” or charge on a “sliding scale.” Some clinics bill based on your income level. Note that you may need to provide qualifying proof (e.g., W-2s, taxes, etc.) to the clinic in order for your bill to be reduced, especially if they do not already have a program in place.

• Where possible, ask if you can get a quote for the services you are going to ask for (e.g., physical, TB test, drug test, immunization update, etc.). Getting quotes from multiple clinics will help you make an educated decision on where to go.

• If you do not have a Primary Care Physician or are uninsured, consider clinics that do pre-employment physicals without needing an employee invitation/request. These physicals can be done for anywhere from $20~$100. After finding a clinic that can do a pre-employment physical, call to make sure they do drug testing and TB testing.

• If your clinic can only do a physical but no testing, search for non-profit or public TB testing clinics. If you live in a city or even in a suburb there are usually 1-2 locations available in the immediate area. This is especially true for areas that have high concentrations of people.

• If you do not have insurance, or if insurance would make you pay a lot of money for a drug test but you cannot afford an independent drug testing center (tests cost $50-$90 for a panel that includes all four drugs), look up any non-profit or public clinics that conduct drug testing for reduced fees. If it is a clinic, you do not need to provide accreditation proof.

• Drug testing at hospitals can be expensive depending on your insurance, what hospital your provider is located at, and how extensive your hospitals drug test panel is. Remember that you can ask your provider how much the service will be in advance and if it is not covered by your insurance, consider visiting an accredited drug testing center that meets the approved guidelines for a more affordable alternative."