Full Speed Ahead!

After about 3.5 months, we have finally completed the Medical Review Process. Ben and I are medically qualified to serve abroad with the Peace Corps!! Here is a screenshot I took this morning from my Peace Corps "toolkit", the online program that applicants use to track their progress. While Ben still had a legal hold for his car loan, my checklist is complete! 

Additionally, Ben received this message from our Placement Officer:

"Congratulations on medical clearance! Your process is the same [as Sarah's] and yet different. If you are selected for an interview, you will both be interviewed. Sarah is the primary candidate, although they will be interested in your skill set as well. Keep in mind that it will be Sarah's skill set that gets you accepted into the program. Your role may be less well-defined or predictable- they would ensure that you had an assignment, but it may not be determined/finalized until you get to Post. The best approach for you would be to keep an open mind and be flexible to see what's needed by the Agency or community."

 We look forward to our interviews, and continue to prepare for a late August departure (just in case).

¿Vamos a México?

 

BIG UPDATE: Last Thursday, our Placement Officer called us with an exciting opportunity. The Peace Corps would like us to apply for an incredible program that works with the National Parks Service/ EPA equivalent in Mexico. This position is a little more structured and would have a larger impact than the typical Peace Corps assignment. The nature of this program requires us to undergo an additional application and interview process. Our placement officer believes we are strong candidates for the position, and we should find out if we are accepted by the end of this month. If we are accepted, we are scheduled to depart as soon as August 27th. If we are not accepted, we will still be considered for Fall departure, but will most likely be headed to Sub-Saharan Africa.

We are really excited about this opportunity, but it will definitely impact our October wedding plans. After careful consideration, we have decided to move our wedding up to Saturday, August 18^th.  We know this is a drastic change, and we hope everyone will do their best to be there with us to celebrate our wedding and journey to the Peace Corps together. 

Thank you so much for your flexibility and understanding!

Next Steps: Interview for Mexico (June 15-June 20)

Smile!

Ben and I awoke this morning to find our Peace Corps Application Status had been updated. We have officially passed the rigorous dental review portion of the application process. Our teeth are healthy enough to go abroad!

Additionally, I received an email from the Office of Medical Services indicating a missing lab test for Hepatitis B surface antibody. Although the doctor's office told me they had completed all the required tests, they did not realize that this specific test was not included in their typical Hepatitis panel. I will have to go back to their office next week to get the test done.

On the bright side, we are thrilled that the medical office is even looking at our paperwork this early. Our files are no longer gathering dust. We are one step closer to finding the answer to everyone's favorite question: "Where are you going?" We would love to find out about where you would like to go if you were in our shoes. Share your dream destination with us by completing the poll to the right!

Next Steps: Sarah will complete her missing lab work; Ben gets to wait some more, but will hear from them soon! In the meantime, we are trying our hands at learning Spanish by revisiting my old college textbook.

Welcome Letter from Placement

Today Ben and I received our welcome emails from the Placement office!

"Welcome! Congratulations on your nomination to a Peace Corps Master’s International assignment! Your recruiter has nominated you to be considered for programs departing in October, November or December 2012. The nomination from your recruiter is a recommendation that your application be given further consideration.

Your file has been received in the Placement Office at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, DC. This is the place where several important screenings and assessments take place and assignment matches for qualified prospective volunteers are finalized.

As you discussed with your recruiter during the interview, the medical screening has begun. Please note that it takes OMS 8-12 weeks to review an applicant’s paperwork and determine whether that applicant is medically qualified for service."

Next Step: Wait for medical qualification... wait... wait...wait

Ben takes the lead

UPS delivered Ben's medical packet safely into the hands of the Peace Corps medical review office. The review process generally takes between  1-6 months depending on the complexity of your health history, the number of applications under review, and the completeness of your submitted information. Although this process may take several months, 85% of applicants who complete the medical evaluation are deemed medically qualified to serve. Once you are qualified, your name is automatically passed to the Placement Office.

Next Steps: Sarah submits medical review packet, and Ben waits.

Doctor, Doctor, Give me the News!

Our Medical Packets

Today, we received our Peace Corps medical packets in the mail! They include all the paperwork we will need to complete the medical review process. The review consists of three main parts: a physical exam, a dental exam, and an optometry exam. Special evaluation forms may be included based on your responses to the health status review section of your application (be careful of how you answer those questions; they request tons of additional paperwork for each item you list; it may save you a lot of headache later on).

Luckily, the Peace Corps is willing to provide partial payment for these exams and certain doctors offer them for free. Physical exams: $125 (males), $165 (females); Optometry: $12; Dental: $60. Dentists who are members of the International College of Dentists (ICD) will provide free exams and x-rays. You can search the list by city and state to find a dentist near you. Ben and I called the office at the top of the list and have already booked our free dental appointments. Federal medical facilities offer free physical exams, but they can be frustrating to work with because Peace Corps applicants are considered a very low priority.

Next Steps: Complete all of our exams, Fill out the paperwork, and Return the medical review packet to the Peace Corps

We have been nominated!

A little over 3 weeks after our interview we received our nomination email from our recruiter. We have been nominated to the Forestry Program with a potential departure of November/December 2012. Because we are Masters International applicants, this assignment is not set in stone and may be changed later in the application process.

Next Step: The Medical Review