THIS AMERICAN WOMAN TRAVELED TO TURKEY FOR AN $810 FULL-BODY VIP CHECK-UP THAT WOULD'VE COST THOUSANDS IN THE US

If you're an American, you've probably faced bafflingly high medical costs at some point in your life.

Why does one dose of Tylenol cost, like, $200 in the hospital when you can buy a whole bottle at CVS for $15??? 

Well, a couple of days ago, 29-year-old Bryn Elise (@bryn.elise) shared a video on TikTok about her recent experience with medical tourism in Turkey that has Americans everywhere renewing their passports.

Bryn starts the video by saying, "I flew to Turkey to get the most in-depth checkup of my life, and it was the greatest thing I've ever done for my health and my bank account."

Then, she walks viewers through her appointment-packed day as she gets full body care. "First thing you'll do is get your blood drawn so they can start running tests. You'll also do an EKG. You'll take your blood pressure, height, and weight. And now we're off to radiology for a chest X-ray and an abdominal ultrasound."

She also showed off the hospital's food selections which honestly look good enough that I wouldn't be surprised if locals swing by the hospital for lunch. "Here, they actually brought in a popular Turkish restaurant to handle all the meals, and patients can literally order it to be delivered to their rooms. It's unreal."

After she had her lunch, Bryn's appointments continued. "Now it's time to meet with the internal medicine doctor and go over my test results. I was trying to play it cool, but I was nervous. We went over, one by one, the 30-plus scans, tests, and cancer markers I was tested for in-depth, and I got to ask all my pressing questions about my health."

She sums up her experience by saying, "It was incredible. This is why I love health tourism, because I would never be able to afford this level of care in the United States, and this entire full-day package only cost $810."

In the comments, Americans are stunned by the pricetag on this incredible level of care.

Americans are also sharing some of their most outrageous medical bills because who amongst us hasn't been charged $500+ for a 10-minute Zoom call with a nurse?

Even beyond the costs, Americans are also very impressed with the time and quality of care Bryn received during her day of appointments compared to the rushed care many of us get in the States.

Bryn told BuzzFeed that she made this appointment to address a list of health concerns, and she feels it was worth every single penny. "In the United States, in-depth preventative checkups like this are NOT the norm, and issues only get discovered and treated when you present serious symptoms. Due to that, I've had a number of small health concerns that had been piling up for years. Nothing too serious (I hoped!), but I knew I couldn't just live my entire life wondering if I was okay."

In addition to helping her physical health, Bryn says the visit has also alleviated her health anxiety. "Besides the fact that the checkup uncovered the cause of some of my symptoms, it completely cured the health anxiety that I'd be living with for so long. In my opinon, that itself was well worth the $810."

Bryn also shared more information about the full costs of her trip to Turkey: "As for travel costs, I spent $700 on my flight and an average of $300 a week on accommodation. When I plan my trips, I always use the Google Flights Explore feature to find the cheapest flights across the next six months and book my health trips accordingly."

In recent years, Turkey has become a popular destination for medical tourism, particularly for cosmetic procedures (think: Love Island convos about "Turkey teeth," aka veneers done while on holiday).

Cosmetic medical trips to Turkey are especially popular among residents of the UK, who reportedly went from 120,000 trips abroad for medical procedures in 2015 to 248,000 in 2019. 

However, UK officials have also issued warnings about these trips, as six UK citizens died in 2023 after receiving cosmetic procedures in Turkey. Chair of the British Medical Association's Board of Science, David Strain, said, "What we can never guarantee is the surgical standards in different countries, and even the equipment that may be used, and that’s where the risk comes." 

So, if you're considering traveling to get medical care at a lower cost, it's crucially important to do your research and only visit providers who have been vetted and shown to give the highest level of care. 

Ultimately, Bryn says she's very happy with her experience at Memorial Hospital in Istanbul, and she says, "I've spent the last three years traveling around the world to uncover the world's best health and beauty tourism destinations. My goal is to track down the best, most affordable treatments and share them with the world via TikTok so people can get the care they need. I like to think that the best way to fix our broken healthcare system is to educate people on their options. If enough people leave the US to receive treatment, maybe the system will be forced to change."