bugtypetrainer Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 (edited) Basically, my issue is, I am proficient in Korean so I may not need their help guiding me as much while in Korea. But it is also my first time in Korea so Idk. The other issue is, the prices they quoted for me are outrageous [2million more won per surgery basically] compared to the clinics I spoke with that are not associated with them [hyundai aesthetics, top, uvom], and I don't know if I buy into the hype of big clinics like ID hospital or Banobagi [after a lot of research with both english and also korean searches on korean sites, mostly through naver search], the cheaper clinics I mentioned like hyundai aesthetics seem to have good reputations as well, even with lower cost. Is a medical tourism agency probably not a good fit for me? My gut is telling me no, but I would like an extra opinion if possible. They also reply very slowly... And through email rathed than kakaotalk... Has anybody here done medical tourism without an agency like I think I might want to? I am going to be in Korea for all of August [of this year]. Edited July 17, 2019 by bugtype Typo, more information 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somedayskiesareblue Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 3 hours ago, bugtype said: Basically, my issue is, I am proficient in Korean so I may not need their help guiding me as much while in Korea. But it is also my first time in Korea so Idk. The other issue is, the prices they quoted for me are outrageous [2million more won per surgery basically] compared to the clinics I spoke with that are not associated with them [hyundai aesthetics, top, uvom], and I don't know if I buy into the hype of big clinics like ID hospital or Banobagi [after a lot of research with both english and also korean searches on korean sites, mostly through naver search], the cheaper clinics I mentioned like hyundai aesthetics seem to have good reputations as well, even with lower cost. Is a medical tourism agency probably not a good fit for me? My gut is telling me no, but I would like an extra opinion if possible. They also reply very slowly... And through email rathed than kakaotalk... Has anybody here done medical tourism without an agency like I think I might want to? I am going to be in Korea for all of August [of this year]. there are many reviews of people who went with medical tourism agencies and deeply regretted it as they are literally arm twisted into going with clinics where these agencies get more commission. i highly suggest if you prefer company for your consults, to link up with the contacts in the august/september ps kkt group chat. alternatively, hire a translator from the gangnam medical centre (30000krw per hour). seoul is not a difficult place to navigate, especially since you are proficient in korean. if i may suggest, choose an accomm in the gangnam, sinsa area so that travelling to clinics for consults, surgery and follow ups will be a lot less stressful. foodwise, there is yogiyo app for delivery (assuming you can read hangeul) and if all else fails, there are convenience stores everywhere where you can be sure to grab something to fill you up. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtypetrainer Posted July 17, 2019 Author Share Posted July 17, 2019 2 minutes ago, somedayskiesareblue said: there are many reviews of people who went with medical tourism agencies and deeply regretted it as they are literally arm twisted into going with clinics where these agencies get more commission. i highly suggest if you prefer company for your consults, to link up with the contacts in the august/september ps kkt group chat. alternatively, hire a translator from the gangnam medical centre (30000krw per hour). seoul is not a difficult place to navigate, especially since you are proficient in korean. if i may suggest, choose an accomm in the gangnam, sinsa area so that travelling to clinics for consults, surgery and follow ups will be a lot less stressful. foodwise, there is yogiyo app for delivery (assuming you can read hangeul) and if all else fails, there are convenience stores everywhere where you can be sure to grab something to fill you up. Thank you so much for the response. I decided I will continue to contact clinics I am interested in directly and avoid medical tourism agencies altogether. Also thank you for the app suggestion! I am going to download that and try it when I am in Korea. Initially, my friend offered for me to stay with her in Seoul, but she is quite far from Gangnam, and I also feel bad taking up space in her place for an entire month, so I made accommodations in Gangnam. You're probably so right that it is a good idea to stay near the clinics so I am glad I can do that. I haven't been able to join the kakaotalk groupchat yet but hopefully I can be approved before I fly to Korea! Have an amazing day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Usually the ones ran by Koreans are shady, but there are some agencies ran by westerners and even ex foreign patients who are more honest and can make your trip easier. Some people have recommended My Seoul Secret. They have a support plan for $99 (no commission) where they can provide virtual assistance or they can research and pick clinics for you that has a commission built into the price. You can use them to book interpreters from the government too. I just message them on Kakao with random questions and they usually help answer a lot of basic stuff for free too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rey Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 I for one went with doc finder Korea, I do not recommend going with a medical tourism company, it is not worth it, I wish I listened to people comments online in regards to that, they really don't give a jack about the patients truthfully, my consultant barely talked during consultation it was more like she was just there to sit. They do get commission so know your surgery price will get higher to and they won't contribute much rather than give you free rides to the consultation which of course they get back from the commission fee. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2eeyor Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 Hi, has anyone heard about Seoul Guide Medical? I heard it's a medical tourism for plastic surgery in Korea. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2eeyor Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 On 7/17/2019 at 7:44 AM, bugtypetrainer said: Thank you so much for the response. I decided I will continue to contact clinics I am interested in directly and avoid medical tourism agencies altogether. Also thank you for the app suggestion! I am going to download that and try it when I am in Korea. Initially, my friend offered for me to stay with her in Seoul, but she is quite far from Gangnam, and I also feel bad taking up space in her place for an entire month, so I made accommodations in Gangnam. You're probably so right that it is a good idea to stay near the clinics so I am glad I can do that. I haven't been able to join the kakaotalk groupchat yet but hopefully I can be approved before I fly to Korea! Have an amazing day. Hi, I'm planning to go to Korea in February 2020. I was gonna use Seoul Guide Medical tourism but now skeptical. How was your experience going on your own? Any recommendations which clinic for eye surgery? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2eeyor Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 On 7/17/2019 at 12:45 PM, Jabba said: Usually the ones ran by Koreans are shady, but there are some agencies ran by westerners and even ex foreign patients who are more honest and can make your trip easier. Some people have recommended My Seoul Secret. They have a support plan for $99 (no commission) where they can provide virtual assistance or they can research and pick clinics for you that has a commission built into the price. You can use them to book interpreters from the government too. I just message them on Kakao with random questions and they usually help answer a lot of basic stuff for free too. https://myseoulsecret.com/service-plans/ This was also a good post on they wrote on agencies as well: https://myseoulsecret.com/korean-medical-tourism-agency/ How was your experience with myseoulsecret.com. Was it worth it to use medical toursim? I have heard about Seoul Guide Medical., not sure if they are good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, in2eeyor said: How was your experience with myseoulsecret.com. Was it worth it to use medical toursim? I have heard about Seoul Guide Medical., not sure if they are good It was good, they felt like friends and family and were very honest. They didn't force my decision and looked up information that I needed. Not all agencies are created equal, so you want to pick a good one just like you would pick a clinic. Usually the ones ran by foreigners are better. The ones that sponsor influencers tend to be the most scammy and shady in my opinion and are more interested in quantity and not quality. This is a podcast interview I saw on my youtube feed. It's good to listen to in general. This gal they interviewed did facial contouring, nose, eyes and body work. Edited December 21, 2019 by Jabba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2eeyor Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 Hi Jabba, Thanks for your response. The podcast interview was good. I reached out to seoulsecret before. They slowed to response. I was kind of dissapointed. How do you know which one ran by foreigners or the ones that sponsor influencers? Agencies on my list: Seoulsecret and Seoul Guide Medical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somedayskiesareblue Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 6 hours ago, in2eeyor said: Hi Jabba, Thanks for your response. The podcast interview was good. I reached out to seoulsecret before. They slowed to response. I was kind of dissapointed. How do you know which one ran by foreigners or the ones that sponsor influencers? Agencies on my list: Seoulsecret and Seoul Guide Medical. My suggestion remains to DIY as much as possible. Agencies are driven by the commission they get from the clinics, and will definitely sway you to pick those clinics. Also, you will almost definitely be paying more than what you would by going direct to the clinics, since these agencies include their 'commission' into the price quote (in turn claiming they do not take a cut). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2eeyor Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 Hi somedayskiesareblue, You're right about these agencies claimed they don't take a cut. I've heard it before. Currently, I'm in search of clinics/doctors for DES now, places to stay, transportation etc. . Thank you for your honest feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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