Q. I live in Ulsan and want to try a non-face-to-face Korean medicine diet program. How does it work?

Certainly, you're curious about non-face-to-face Korean medicine diet programs, right? I initially wondered if it would work, but each clinic operates a bit differently. Typically, you schedule a consultation via a mobile app or phone, then submit a questionnaire and photos (e.g., tongue and full-body photos). Based on your medical history, the doctor prescribes herbal medicine, which is prepared and mailed to you. Follow-up checks on symptom changes are done periodically via text or phone. Advantages: First, time-saving—no need to commute to the clinic, which is great for busy office workers. Second, accessibility—even if you live in Ulsan, you can receive expertise from clinics in Seoul or the capital area. Third, a low initial barrier—people who felt hesitant about visiting a Korean medicine clinic can start comfortably. Disadvantages are clear: First, it's impossible to perform pulse diagnosis (脈診) or abdominal diagnosis (腹診). In Korean medicine, pulse diagnosis and abdominal diagnosis assess the flow of qi and blood (氣血) and pathological conditions like blood stasis (瘀血) or phlegm-fluid (痰飮); without this information, diagnostic precision may decrease. Second, it relies on patients' self-reporting—things like appetite or bowel movements must be accurately described, which can be hard to objectify. Third, if side effects occur (e.g., heartburn, diarrhea), response may be delayed. Ultimately, whether non-face-to-face or in-person is better depends on how typical your constitution and condition are. For example, those with spleen deficiency (脾虛)—characterized by easy swelling and poor digestion—would benefit from in-person abdominal diagnosis. Conversely, if you are generally healthy and simply need appetite control, non-face-to-face can be effective. If you're unsure which category you fall into, visiting a local in-person clinic for a consultation is a good option. I myself wondered if this would be a waste of time when I first tried non-face-to-face treatment, but when the patient cooperates well, it works quite well. However, please understand that due to medical regulations, I cannot make promises like 'this will definitely make you lose weight.'