Going to a Korean clinic

The healthcare system in Korea has always been a mystery to me. When I was little I didn't have to go to a separate pharmacy to get the pills my doctor prescribed. There was no such thing as a "prescription" --at least not physically-- because everything was done in one place. The separation of diagnosis and pharmaceuticals took place later on. Going to see the doctor and then the pharmacist in two trips was an annoying hassle for me. Grown-ups back then said something about charging patients more but I didn't pay too attention to it.
I also remember having a small booklet that listed my social security number and family relations (kinda like the BC care card). I'm not sure if people still carry that around.
And As opposed to having to see the physician first and then being referred to a specialist, in Korea you can go to the doctor of your choice without the middleman. For instance if I have a horrible sore throat, I can just go see a ear-nose-throat doctor (이비인후과 ee-bee-inhoo-gwa). The same goes for the dentist, dermatologist, gynecologist...

I had to visit a clinic to get a simple check up since my firm requested diagnostics for insurance reasons. I had never been to a clinic in Korea even when I was a child. To the little me a clinic was the poor people's equivalent of a legitimate doctor's office.
The clinic that I went to looked pretty fancy, actually. It was definitely more spacious than University Clinic in UBC, and they had many receptionists. I can't imagine why they would need so many; perhaps for flue seasons? Regardless they were friendly enough and worked fast. When I told the receptionist I needed to get some tests done for my company, she asked me where I worked. (There were actually boxes on the paper to indicate where I worked, but it only had things like restaurants, massage parlor(!), and bars.) I told her where, and she asked me back: "And they told you to get the tests done here?" Hmm. I couldn't really tell what she was trying to imply but from the options available on the paper I could assume.
I got the x-ray, blood and urine tests done and the whole thing took about fifteen minutes and five dollars. They told me I could pick up the test result on Friday anywhere that has an electronic issuer (for public documents). What a country.

Everyone who worked at the clinic was woman. I wonder if that was intentional. As a woman I definitely felt more at ease, but I'm not sure if men feel the same way.