Along with a belief in religion many people also have a belief in fortune tellers (though many religions frown on fortune telling). From the Oracle in ancient Greece to the Chinese I Ching, to the African throwing of bones, to planetary readings, palmistry, face reading – all cultures have their own methods of divining fortunes.

In olden times the rulers (kings and emperors also had soothsayers who used to tell them about the future so the belief system is very old. Whether it is the gypsy who tells your fortune or the tarot reader or an astrologer, all come under the umbrella term of fortune telling.

The work of the fortune teller

The work of a fortune teller is to predict what is going to happen in your life. Most people come with specific questions to which they want answers to guide them as to what they should do. Most fortune tellers gain the confidence of the people who come to them by telling them incidents from their past and present and then tell them about the future.

Normally a professional fortune teller will have a number of clients they see in a day. Nowadays fortune tellers of different kinds also have their own websites where their services are offered for a fee and they also sell stuff, which adds to their income. Many fortune tellers also write horoscope books or make general prophecies and sometimes these books become best sellers.

Fortune tellers also work on phones, television and do columns for newspapers and magazines.

Personal Qualities and Academic Qualifications

Any fortune teller needs a good understanding of human psychology. He or she should have good communication and language skills. He should be a good listener and be able to guide people according to their needs.

Academic qualifications are not important, but you should have a high school education. Some of the fields like astrology and palmistry may require a great deal of study and in some countries there are proper educational courses available. Otherwise you can train under somebody who is established and put in a great deal of self study. Some countries may require that you be appropriated certified or licensed.

Different types of fortune telling

Depending on your interest in the subject you may want to take up numerology, astrology, shadow reading, tarot cards, or any other form of fortune telling. Most people start this as a hobby and as their study and learning advances it can become a full time work, often earning them fame and money.

There is also crystal ball gazing, the Ouija board, psychic readings, aura readings, water dowsing, runes, tea leaf reading and hundreds of other types of fortune telling.

Practicing

Fortune tellers almost invariably have their own practices and client base. Usually they may work from a small booth or store front or occasionally even at exhibitions and carnivals. It is impossible to estimate how much money a fortune teller can make. If your practice from a store front, you have to factor in your rent and overheads like advertising and then work towards the money you need.

If you are a week-end or occasional fortune teller then it can be second income for you. If you have a good client base and celebrity clients you can make a great deal of money. You can charge anything from $5 to $100 per reading.

Related posts:

1. How to Become a Fortune Teller (Real Examples) Bill Herbst Bill Herbst was raised in the middle class...
2. How to Become a Retail Cashier (Real Examples) Anna Marie Bowman Anna Marie Bowman lives in Florida and...
3. How to Become a Geologist A geologist studies the earth’s surface and what is under...

Bill Herbst was raised in the middle class suburb or St. Louis, Mass and has been a professional astrologer for 36 years. In his younger days he tried doing psychology but it did not interest him and then he got interested in astrology and soon became a professional astrologer.

In his long career he has done more than 11,000 readings. He uses natal charts which show the basic personality of the person and around this he adds other tools as required. He has also written two books and authored many articles and essays.

He says that most people are interested in three aspects of their life: work, health and relationships. People mostly have particular question to ask or specific issues they seek guidance for. He tries to help them whichever way he can, telling them about positives and negatives. He also does web readings via email.

Click for more

Related posts:

1. How to Become a Fortune Teller Fortune telling has been around since ancient times because people...
2. How to Become a Geologist (Real Examples) Ellen Morris Bishop The term geologist limits Ellen Morris Bishop...
3. How to Become a Journalist (Real Examples) More than 10 years ago, Julia Buckley started her career...

You need surgery which is either unaffordable in your home country, or you have no medical insurance, or it is not covered by insurance. So you decide you should explore the options of going abroad, where surgical and other procedures are much cheaper. But how will you know that you are making the right decision when you leave all that is familiar to you and go to a strange foreign destination, and often put your life in some else’s hands?

What kind of health are you in?

If your overall health is good and you are mobile, then you can go abroad for surgery. This particularly applies for elective procedures like aesthetic or cosmetic surgery and dental procedures. Cosmetic surgery may range from full face lifts to rhinoplasty to abdominoplasty or liposuction and any other surgeries which will make you look and feel better. It includes things like breast reduction (for women and for men) and breast augmentation, hair transplants or laser hair removal.

Eye surgeries may be for vision problems, cataracts and other eye procedures which are not emergency in nature. Many people also go abroad for heart surgeries, angioplasties, organ transplants and even cancer treatments. Couples go abroad for assisted reproduction help.

But the basic criterion is that you should be well enough to travel to your destination country and come back after the surgery after the required recuperation time.

Post operative care

If post operative care is provided by a doctor who is affiliated to the medical tourism destination, there is nothing like it. There are doctors across the borders who visit certain cities every week as a follow-up for all their patients there. Occasionally doctors or hospitals may tie up with local hospitals and/or doctors who will take on the responsibility of follow up care.

Otherwise it is best to speak to your primary care physician in your home country and find out what he or she advises with regard to follow up care. Whether it is simply change of dressings or changing medicines or advising pain killers, it is important to have some physician who is amenable to your traveling abroad for the surgery and then going to him or her for care. And remember, more likely than not, visits will cost you money as well.

Is it going to be worth it?

Being healthy is most important to any individual if you have poor health for any reason it affects the quality of your life and may also hamper or be an obstacle in your daily activities and even work. If you plan to go abroad for a cosmetic surgery procedure you have to weight the risks and benefits as well as the cost effectiveness of the surgery.

In the end, if you have a good experience you are going to be benefit immensely. You will pay much less and be in better health. But if you have a bad experience, you can feel that your life is ruined and may even have to spend more money to repair the damage if possible.

That is why it is extremely important to put all your research in place before undertaking any surgical procedure abroad and also before you part with your money

Related posts:

1. How to decide whether to travel abroad to have your surgery More and more people in Western countries like the United...
2. How to Decide Whether Medical Tourism Is Safe or Not Many people are going to foreign countries to get cosmetic...
3. How to Have Breast Augmentation Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Four examples below Danielle Davis Danielle Davis, a student from...

Medical tourism as a business

No longer are western countries the mecca for medical tourists. Not too long ago, people from developing countries used to go to the western countries for state of the art procedures which were not offered in their own countries or were thought to be better in the western world. Now the majority of doctors, particularly in hospitals in the west, are from south Asia.

Developing countries globally have also made great strides in the medical field with the latest technology available at affordable rates, with very good doctors (some of who may have even trained in the west) and nurses.

Economics and finances are the major factors which drive any industry as is the law of supply and demand. Medical tourism is now a global industry which generates billions, benefiting both the consumer and the provider. Any country which is a destination for the medical tourist makes a lot of money because of the added business and the money is in foreign exchange which is always beneficial to the country. The person who goes there benefits because he has to pay much less for good quality surgery and care than he or she would in his or her home country.

By 2012, it is estimated that medical tourism will become a business worth at $100 billion. Like any other industry it also generates a lot of employment and business opportunities.

What exactly does medical tourism refer to?

When anybody wants any procedure or operation, minor or major, and sources the best and cheapest marketplace which offers it to him, he becomes a medical tourist. A tourist is simply a person who goes on a long or short holiday. But a medical tourist goes to a country for a specific purpose – to undergo either a cosmetic procedure or a life-saving operation or even to have a baby.

Sometimes that person may combine it with a holiday either before or after the procedure. At times it is necessary for him or her to spend a particular length of time in that country for follow up care till he or she is fit enough to travel back home. There have even been instances where people have been on a holiday and gone in for a minor procedure (like a tooth extraction or teeth whitening) because they have seen the facilities and find it very reasonably priced. On the whole, however, people go particularly for some surgery.

Why do people go abroad for surgery or cosmetic procedures?

In advanced countries in the developed world, most medical procedures and surgeries are very expensive. In the US, for instance, people may not have sufficient medical insurance to cover their necessary surgeries. At times, the co-pay factor may be so much that it would be cheaper to get it done elsewhere, pay for the whole thing and still save money.

In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) usually has a long waiting list and it may not be feasible for a person to wait that long. Getting the surgery done privately is prohibitively expensive.

Cosmetic procedures, in any case, are usually not covered by medical insurance or NHS. In-vitro fertilization or other pregnancy help procedures are often not covered or are available only for limited cycles, after which one has to pay.

What kind of procedures area available to the medical tourist?

1. Among medical procedures which people travel abroad for are:
2. Transplant surgeries
3. Dental and orthodontic work
4. Cosmetic procedures including face lifts, nose and boob jobs, hair transplants and others
5. Getting pregnant with medical intervention
6. Lasik or other vision correction surgeries
7. Illegal or not yet approved procedures such as kidney transplants or other organ transplants in order to jump waiting lists
8. Alternative therapies

If you are willing to travel elsewhere for your medical requirements you are one of the millions of medical tourists. Whether it is a bypass surgery, a joint replacement, dental work, plastic surgery, IVF all kinds of procedures can be done in a foreign country.

Related posts:

1. How to Decide Whether Medical Tourism Is Safe or Not Many people are going to foreign countries to get cosmetic...
2. How to Research Medical Tourism A person who is seeking medical treatment abroad has to...
3. How to Have Breast Augmentation Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Four examples below Danielle Davis Danielle Davis, a student from...

Sally Johnstone of the US is a big fan of medical tourism. She feels that prices for many procedures in the US are prohibitively expensive and unaffordable. Earlier she had a good amount of medical insurance in the US and so had many treatments there. Later her insurance cover dwindled and, in any case, did not cover the treatments she wanted.

She wanted to become pregnant and had to undergo IVF. She went to Thailand to the get the procedure done. Sally also notices that in the US while the doctors did give quality care, often they would look at her as a business opportunity. In Thailand, she experienced a more caring and compassionate and hands-on approach on the part of the medical staff assigned to her. She became pregnant and is grateful to the hospital in Bangkok which enabled her to have a baby.

Click for more

Related posts:

1. How to Have Lasik Eye Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Six examples below Aaron Clark Aaron Clark of south Texas...
2. How to Have Breast Augmentation Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Four examples below Danielle Davis Danielle Davis, a student from...
3. How to Have Hip Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Two examples below Ken Snowden Ken Snowden of CA, US,...

In the US, if you need any medical treatment which is not covered by insurance, or you are not insured, then you can be sure that it is going to burn a hole in your pocket to be paying for it. Whether it is a simple tooth extraction or hair transplant or hip or knee replacement surgery or heart surgery, everything is extremely expensive.

And then it is not necessary that you are going to get better care than anywhere else. In fact the number of doctors from other countries outnumbers local doctors in most western countries, though they have to be qualified to practice and have met all the certification requirements.

Why is surgery cheaper abroad?

Surgery abroad in most countries is cheaper than in the US or UK even though you are getting it done privately. The reasons for this may be:

1. Cost of living is less
2. Real estate is cheaper
3. Cost of medical education is less
4. Infrastructure costs are more reasonable
5. Medical insurance fees have inflated prices in the US
6. Cost of medical education in the US is extremely high
7. Malpractice insurance in the US adds to the costs
8. Cost of medicines, equipment and investigative procedures is higher

How much less does it cost?

There is no doubt that you will save money when you go abroad for surgery. How much money you will save actually depends on where you go. It can range from 40 percent to as much as 90 percent. That does not mean that the further you go, the cheaper it will be. Some countries in Latin America, Europe, Mexico or the Slav countries may offer treatments which are cheaper or at least comparable in price to similar procedures in Malaysia, India, Philippines, etc.

The actual costs which you have to factor in

It is not just the surgery and the hospital stay which should be the deciding factor. You should also factor in other, incidental and necessary expenses like:

• Travel costs for you and a companion
• Stay in a hotel, if required
• Pre and post hospitalization tests and investigations
• Leave from work
• Sightseeing expenses
• Shopping and food
• Extra nursing care, if required
• Medical care back home and that also if there are no complications

How to find out the actual costs

There are facilitators, agencies and even hospitals which offer forms on their websites which will give you all the information about costs. If you go through an agency, they may offer you an all inclusive package which will include airfare, visa costs, local travel, accommodation, the services of a guide or interpreter and more.

If you are dealing directly with a hospital, you will have to find out what their package includes: at times it may not include follow up care or change of dressings even. You may well have to make your own travel arrangements and hotel accommodations, though usually most hospitals have tie-ups with hotels as well.

Fortunately via the internet you can do all your costing easily before deciding on where to go. Travel, hotel, car hire, stay and the like can also be arranged online.

Related posts:

1. How to decide whether to travel abroad to have your surgery More and more people in Western countries like the United...
2. How to Decide Whether Medical Tourism Is Safe or Not Many people are going to foreign countries to get cosmetic...
3. How to Decide Whether You Should Go Abroad for Surgery How do you know whether going abroad for surgery is...

People go abroad for cosmetic procedures which are usually not covered by insurance companies. People go abroad for surgeries which have long waiting lists and they do not want to spend the time in pain or discomfort. People go abroad for procedures which are not offered in the US. People go abroad for medical treatment because it is much cheaper than at home. And, people go abroad for surgeries or medical treatment because they do not have insurance or they have to co-pay and it is simply too expensive.

Is medical tourism safe – legal issues?

If you were to go by the very fact that millions travel abroad for medical treatments ranging from dental treatment to heart surgery to transplant surgery to infertility treatments and seem to be happy with their experience, you would rightly assume that it is safe to go somewhere for your surgery.

However, surgery has its own risks and complications – in any hospital you have to sign a waiver form which says that your have been explained all the details and possible risks and complications. If you are in the US or in a developed country, even if you have signed the form and something goes wrong, you may have recourse to legal action.

But when you go abroad for surgery, you are denied this privilege because you are not a resident of the place where the surgery is being done and US laws will not apply in that place. And laws in different countries are very different. Besides with a temporary visa, you have to return home – you cannot spend years in another country trying to fight a legal battle for paltry compensation, if applicable.

Safety protocols in medical tourism

That said, it is true that most countries do have systems in place which ensure that hospitals and clinics have to follow rules and regulations. All the same it does make more sense that you are going to a large hospital than a small private clinic, because accountability will be greater there.

For the same reason, doctors in large countries will have more experience with patients than doctors in smaller countries with less population. This does not mean that all places which are small are dangerous – it all depends on the doctors and the care that you expect to get.

Doctors all over the world have to be appropriately qualified at least in the country they are working in. All the same you may want to check the qualifications of the doctor you are going to and see if he has got any qualifications or certifications from your home country, to be on the safe side.

Traveling time

It is important to factor in the traveling time to reach and come back from your medical tourism destination for the surgery. Firstly, if it is a serious surgery, you may already be in pain and agony and if you have to be in an airplane for a long period you have to see how you can take it. Post surgery, too, you should be fit enough to take the traveling time, so if it means having to stay back for a longer period you should be prepared to do that.

If you want some minor procedure, you may prefer to go somewhere closer, so that you can cut down on traveling time. However, for serious surgeries you have to weigh the risks and the benefits of traveling long distances.

Pre and post care

Some organizations arrange for pre and post care in your home country including consultations, tests, investigations and the like. Others may expect you to get the tests done on your own and send them the reports. You may also have to arrange follow-up care on your own, whether it is going to a doctor for medical advice, changing dressings or medications and more.

Therefore it is important that all this is in place. If you have surgery abroad and then you have any problem on your return, you should know who to go to or where you can go, instead of having to land up in the emergency room or having to make frantic calls abroad.

Related posts:

1. How to Research Medical Tourism A person who is seeking medical treatment abroad has to...
2. How to Decide Whether You Should Go Abroad for Surgery How do you know whether going abroad for surgery is...
3. How to Understand Medical Tourism Medical tourism is the new buzzword whereby people go abroad...

There are many people all around the world who travel to other lands, often exotic destinations, which they may not even consider going to otherwise, just for medical treatment. As such it is of extreme importance that they do their research diligently so that they don’t have a bad experience. After all, they are putting their health and well being in somebody else’s hands.

Researching medical tourism via the internet

Fortunately the internet gives all kind of information at the touch of your fingertips and in the comfort and safety of your home. However, the information available is so vast that sometimes it becomes difficult to come to a decision on where to go.

There are also lots of blogs and testimonials available on the internet. It sometimes becomes impossible to learn what is real and what is advertising hype – because testimonials may just be advertisements in a different form.

How to find out the truth

There are many forums and blogs which offer phone numbers and even email addresses along with pictures of the patients. If you can get in touch with the people who have had similar medical treatments to you require, you can and should communicate with them and find out how good the experience actually was.

If you can get a personal reference from somebody you know, there is nothing like it. You will know you will be getting an unbiased opinion. If you do a great deal of research, and find that a particular procedure or a particular doctor, hospital or clinic is being slammed, it is better to be safe and avoid it. You can also post your opinions and questions on forums so that you get some help, but here again, you will have to be careful that you are not being subtly guided by some advertising.

Seeking guidance

As there are doctors from many different parts of the world practicing globally, you can even ask them if they have any recommendations to make. Your family doctor or specialist may also be able to guide you because doctors of different countries, particularly specialists, often tend to know one another thanks to conferences, workshops, seminars which are international in nature.

Should you go it alone or take the help of a facilitating agency?

There are many facilitating agencies around the world. Some of them may be doing work in only one country, while others may have a more global presence. These agencies can guide you and even give you a quote for various procedures in different countries. They can make things easier for you by arranging for tickets, visas, surgeons, hospitals, hotel stay, and the use of a guide and/or interpreter if required. Obviously all this comes for a fee, but since they have tied up with hospitals, airlines or travel agents, guides and the like, they also get a discount.

So there may not be much difference in the price you pay by going it on your own and getting somebody to help smoothen the experience. By the nature of your interaction with them in the initial stages, you will also be able to judge how helpful (or not) they are.

Plus, unless you are going to a reputable hospital or doctors with whom you can directly deal with, you do not really want to be stuck in a foreign country where you don’t know the language, the culture, the nitty-gritty of local travel and face unfamiliar food as well. It is always useful to have somebody guide you particularly when you or a family member is facing surgery whether elective or not.

After all, you want to be one of those patients who have had a good experience and successful medical treatment don’t you? You don’t want to be a statistic of some botched surgery or bad experience which you have then have to spend even more money to repair. That is why research is an important first step in medical tourism.

Related posts:

1. How to Decide Whether Medical Tourism Is Safe or Not Many people are going to foreign countries to get cosmetic...
2. How to Understand Medical Tourism Medical tourism is the new buzzword whereby people go abroad...
3. How to Find Out the Costs of Getting Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism Surgery abroad may seem attractive because it is cheap, but...

Val Finch

Val Finch needed a hysterectomy. She decided to go to Costa Rica for the surgery from Florida, where she stayed. She and her husband went to Costa Rica – everything was arranged for them by Medical Journey.

She spent two days at the Clinica Biblica hospital and was very happy with the care she received there from the investigations and the pre-operation procedures to the time she left. They were even able to get in some sight seeing while there.

Click for more

http://www.medjourneys.com/testimonialsGeneral.html

Conchetta Procopio

Conchetta Procopio of Gilbert, Arizona, was told she needed a hysterectomy. She did not have medical insurance and it was prohibitively expensive to get it done privately. So she researched her options and homed in on Mexico.

She arranged her trip to MedToGo. She had a successful trip and was happy that even though she could not speak Spanish, The doctor in the hospital could speak English, so she did not have any problem. The surgery cost only one-third of what it would have cost in the US. She also received follow-up care back home.

Click for more

Related posts:

1. How to Have a Heart Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Howard Stabb Howard Stabb, a 53 year old self-employed contractor...
2. How to Have Hip Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Two examples below Ken Snowden Ken Snowden of CA, US,...
3. How to Have Knee Replacement Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Two examples below Vicky Bingham Vicky Bingham, 64, of Sudbourne,...

Mark

At 45, Mark had a severe weight problem – he weighed 400 pounds and was diabetic as well. He tried all kinds of weight loss programs and diets, with little success. Finally a friend recommended that he should try surgery to lose weight.

He was put off with stomach stapling and gastric by pass procedures which are quite serious, not to mention more expensive. Then he researched all the information on the internet and decided to go to the Dominican Republic for lap band surgery, which less invasive.

He fixed up everything through a facilitating company and went for a medical vacation with his wife. After the surgery he has already lost 70 pounds and his sugar is also under control.

Click for more

Karen

Karen at 37 was overweight and quite fed up. Being a doctor who had been struggling with her weight since she was twelve, she knew it was important for her to reduce so that she could talk to her patients about healthy living without feeling foolish about her own weight.

She went to Brussels and had the lap band gastric procedure there. Before the surgery she had weighed in at 17 stone. After the surgery she lost 5 stone in a year and reached her target weight of 12 stone. Not only that, but many of her overweight patients, too, followed her example.

Click for more

Related posts:

1. How to Lose Weight Succesfully (Real Examples) Two examples below Cathryn Cathryn was a chubby child and...
2. How to Lose Weight Successfully (Real Examples) Four examples below Jim Merill Jim Merrill lost 20 pounds...
3. How to Have Hair Transplant Surgery Abroad - Medical Tourism (Real Examples) Two examples below Peter  Simon Peter Simon of Ireland started...