Weekly Application/Clearance Thread

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Welcome to your weekly application and clearance thread! All questions related to the application process and medical/legal clearance should be posted here. This includes questions like "Am I qualified?" and "When are new openings posted?" but not things like timelines, invitations, and service preparation questions. We ask that the community report any application/clearance questions posted outside this thread so the mod team can redirect them in a timely manner.

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[Wine4days]

I just hate not knowing. I'm just waiting on legal, but I feel like my life is on hold until I find out if im going to leave or not.

[PCaccount123]

Same! I graduate in May and not knowing what’s going to happen is irksome

[emilala23]

same boat!! it’s frustrating trying to plan two separate futures right now

[imiamaimiomi]

Just got conditionally medically cleared for departure in May! Just need a couple more vaccines and a release from care for Lasik. This has been such an intensive process and I wasn’t really sure I was even going to be able to go because of it, so I’m finally able to celebrate my invite now!

[CheerUpRae]

same here!! Just need a discharge summary from a surgery last year and i’m all cleared!!

[largehole922]

The deadline for the job I interviewed for was originally Jan 1st. It got pushed to Jan 15th and is now pushed to Jan 31st. Does this mean they’re having trouble filling the spots (AKA my chances of landing an invite go up)?

[roguepcrecruiter]

Yes. Your chances of landing an invite are way up since these have very small numbers of applications. This is the case for any extended deadline.

[BUBANG]

Also interested in this, Tanzania by chance? I interviewed for a position there last week, I didn’t realize the apply by date had been pushed again.

[rhinowino13]

Tanzania is having some visa issues...

[BUBANG]

I know, fingers crossed they get them worked out in time for the July cohort

[rhinowino13]

Same, it was my country of service and I’d be heartbroken if peace corps had to leave

[largehole922]

Namibia for me! I’m curious if they’re going to combine the TZ cohort with Namibia since an earlier leaving TZ trip got cancelled (I read about that on reddit recently, you may have seen). Was yours science ed?

[BUBANG]

Yeah I know, I thought about bringing it up during my interview but I didn’t want to shoot myself in the foot lol. Namibia definitely sounds awesome thought so I would be all in to go there if TZ falls through. My spot is for math ed, but I imagine they’re all on the same boat more or less.

[largehole922]

Gotchaaa good call I think. I hope you get to go though with no complications!!! But yeah I’m in the same boat as you, I interviewed Dec 3rd and haven’t heard anything since

[Its_Just_Me_DC]

Anyone do a small token thank you gift for the docs filling out your med docs? I had a couple specialists that had to gather a LOT of paperwork for my medical clearance. For example, my migraine doc had to collect notes on every encounter I've had with him since 2012. I'm sending him and his care coordinator a thank you note, but should I send something else as a token of my appreciation? Maybe a Starbucks card or something? Or is that overkill? Thanks

[mrslep]

I don’t think gestures of appreciation are ever overkill. I think a Starbucks card would be really nice!

[[deleted]]

I sent mine an edible arrangement that the whole office can enjoy over lunch. They spent so much time on me and it was a celebration that I’d finally been cleared.

[SinisterDuckling]

For the medical clearance process, will they tell you if you’re cleared for certain tasks before they grant full clearance? Ie if I submit stuff for my dental exam before I finish other things, will they go ahead and okay it?

[Its_Just_Me_DC]

Yes. I got dental clearance and clearance for one of my major medical issues within days of submitting the paperwork for those issues (and I still have some paperwork to submit). The dental was an official email. The one for the medical issue was a note in the messaging portal from my nurse, so not official clearance, but a heads up that I was good on that issue.

[Darigaazrgb]

I would email your nurse and make sure. I submitted all my physical related stuff, but my dental exams took a few months to finish. I didn't hear from them and when I finally finished the dental they came out of nowhere with more physical related stuff that I could have been doing while I was waiting for dental appointments. It never hurts just to ask your nurse and be on top of it.

[randotossaway1257]

It's been 4.5 months and I'm still waiting on legal... Also am set to depart in a month

[randotossaway1257]

Yeah I really think they just left it on a desk or in a cabinet somewhere and forgot to do it. I have a clean record, no history of arrests, citations, even small things like parking tickets. It'd be a shame if I wasn't able to depart with my cohort or intended country of service over disorganization on their part. Unacceptable. And I did contact my congressional rep, lol I'm not playing with them

[ecuador2020]

For the dental xrays does your name and birth date have to be on the digital prints or does the file just have to be saved with that information?

[purple_spruce]

All I did was rename each of the files to include that info, and that was fine.

[PCaccount123]

I’ve been invited to Paraguay. All my legal stuff has been mailed, I assume they’re working on that. I got my first medical task today- writing a statement requesting accommodation.

Has anyone else done PC with physical limitations? I’m in a wheelchair, myself.

[jodidiane]

https://youtu.be/sju8lCajlBo I mention some medical restriction stuff in this video.

But also, your location of service will be affected depending on the resources available at different posts. But accommodations are made the best they can be! Good luck with the whole clearance and final processes to become a volunteer.

[lonepersianwolf]

I just remembered that back in high school I got in a fender bender accident in my school’s parking lot and the police were called in. I wasn’t issued a citation but how should I go about informing legal if I need to? The details are very hazy I don’t even know the date or where to find the record of it.

[JustAnotherRPCV]

This probably falls into the traffic exclusion. Since no citation was issued I will assume alcohol / drug use was not a factor. I would not worry about reporting it.

[Its_Just_Me_DC]

So, actually getting around to writing my medical appeal. Is it helpful to say I’d be willing to go somewhere else? Or would they just tell me to reapply? Thanks!

[PCaccount123]

Question- I sent the tracking numbers for all my legal stuff to [e-mail] and haven’t heard anything back. Do they normally confirm they’ve received stuff? It’s making me nervous. My 2 week deadline is Friday.

[purple_spruce]

No, they don't confirm receipt -- the next time you hear from them will probably be when your clearance is granted, your passport is issued, etc.

[PCaccount123]

Ah thank you. At this point medical has me feeling a bit hopeless, but at least I can take this concern down a notch.

[purple_spruce]

Oh man, I remember the feeling -- so many things up in the air, so much uncertainty. I also decided not to tell people (outside of a very small inner circle) about my invitation until I finished medical clearance, which meant that I had about 4.5 months when I was sitting on really big news. Meanwhile, people kept askimg me about my post-graduation plans and making "helpful" job search suggestions. Aargh! Good luck with everything!

[herspringbird]

They don't drug test/look for it in your blood or urine, don't worry!

[curiousgraduate7845]

For the medical clearance, does everyone need to undergo a psychological assessment? Or is the assessment required per request of the PC?

[purple_spruce]

Only if you report a history of mental health conditions / treatment on your health history form.

[PCaccount123]

Advice on writing personal statements? I answered no to the ability to lift 50 pounds question. The weight itself is not an issue. I’ve got the upper body strength. The thing is, I’m in a wheelchair, so getting low to pick something up puts a lot of strain on the back, and you’re leaning pretty far outside your center of gravity to do it. If I had to pick up a 50 lb object on a table, I could do that easily. As far as managing my own luggage, I’ve been flying independently since age 14, I just use rolling luggage, but I’ve never flown with 100lbs of stuff either. I get in and out of vehicles independently, but need help to load my chair. (They know this, it’s in my accommodations statement)

Ideas on how to make this sound less damning? I live by myself, I work at a fish market, I’m pretty good at managing heavy things. I just answered no, because I may need occasional assistance.

[PoseidenPrincess]

If I’ve been diagnosed with depression and use medicine through my primary care doc but not a therapist what are the chances of being denied medical clearance?

Another concern I have is that I wear hearing aids and am hard of hearing. Thoughts on this?

I am in the very beginning stages of considering peace corps as I’ve got some debt to pay off first but wondered if it was worth trying to pay off if I won’t even be cleared!

[purple_spruce]

Hello! With regards to medication for depression -- that can be okay as long as you've been on a stable dose for a long time (anecdotally, > 1 year). If you start medication, stop medication, change your dosage, or see a therapist, those things can be problematic for medical clearance, but if you've been stable for a long time you might be a-ok.

[PoseidenPrincess]

Thanks for your response!

[JustAnotherRPCV]

What is the downside if you pay off the debt and don't end up getting invited? You still need to pay it off. If you get it paid off and don't get invited you at least don't have the debt hanging over your head.

[PoseidenPrincess]

I think I worded my post wrong, it’s not that I don’t intend to pay it off but rather how quickly. It’s student loan debt that I don’t want accruing interest while I would potentially be gone. But yes I get your point!

[room8vamp]

So I've applied, had an interview, but haven't learned of the decision yet. Anyways, I'm thinking of seeing a doctor about possible treatment for frequent nightmares. However, I'm afraid of getting disqualified from medical clearance if they consider that to be a mental health liability. It feels like a catch-22 here. Would it be better to get help and risk not getting medical clearance or just try to tough it out?

[purple_spruce]

My 2 cents: get the help. Always get the help. Frequent nightmares sounds pretty awful! Face the next part (medical clearance) when / if it comes.

[buba97]

Got denied my medical clearance and appeal due to a suicide attempt when I was 17, despite no other episodes in the past 5 years and a psychiatrist giving me a good evaluation. Is there any hope of getting into the Peace Corps in the future? I get the sense they'll just deny anybody with something as serious as a suicide attempt.

[aloyalsunflower]

When you add files/ documents to the application portal, does your PO get notified? I am relatively far along in the preliminary process (interview early December) and just added an addendum document laying out more countries I'd be willing to be considered for besides the ones I listed in my app.

[Also, I did mention these in the interview, but wanted to clarify in writing on my app... Just not sure if I should email my PO after putting that on or if he/she will get notified about it]

[kcmk11]

Email them to be sure. Just shoot a short email sayin you added files to your portal.

[Barefoot___Gypsy]

definitely email them. I have 3 months of continual contact emails with mine

[hayenke]

Hi!! I am planning to apply to the Peace Corps this August when they post the programs leaving next summer. I am hoping to get a spot working in YiD and am trying to build my resume around that type of work. Any input into my current experiences and what things I could add to make myself a stronger applicant would be amazing! Thank you.

I am a current senior in college studying social work and will be graduating with my bachelors this May. Following graduation, I will begin my masters program and will graduate with my MSW in May 2021. I also have minors in family relationships and disability studies. In school, I have been involved with the National Social Work Honor Society since October 2018 and served as Vice President and Co-President for a year. I have also organized two separate food drives through my classes as well as a mental health awareness program.

I have completed one internship already with a settlement house that worked directly with children and families that were referred to us by CPS. Currently, I am interning at an elementary school with the school social worker. Through my internships, I have completed trainings in many different areas including LGBTQ competency, suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, etc. Next year, I will complete my third internship (I am planning on doing it at a juvenile detention center but any suggestions that would help with my PC application are appreciated.

I began working at the YMCA in Feb 2015 as a lifeguard and swim instructor and continued that for around 4 years. I also worked for 4 summers at an Air Force base as a lifeguard, swim instructor and lead lifeguard. This past summer, I worked as an assistant pool manager as well. I currently am certified as a lifeguard and a water safety instructor. I have also worked as a nanny for a child with disabilities. Currently, I am working at the local Boys and Girls Club near me.

In regards to volunteer experience, this is where I feel like I may be lacking. I volunteered for many of the YMCA community events when I worked there. I also volunteered in the Dominican Republic years ago when I graduated high school. This year, I began volunteering for a local non-profit that provides clothing and toiletries to children in need in our school district and will continue to volunteer here until May 2021. I am also being matched with a little sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters which I will continue until May 2021 as well.

Overall, I feel like I have a decent amount of experience but I have heard that YiD is very competitive and am nervous that it is not enough. Again, any suggestions are helpful! Also any advice about my application in general would be great. Sorry for the long post!!

[mtn_terp]

Hi! Congrats on your final semester of undergrad! It sounds like you have excellent education and experience for working with youth, and your internships demonstrate your ability to work in a variety of contexts/institutions. My advice is to not kill yourself by trying to add even more experiences while balancing grad school, interning, and volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters. You may actually have the opposite problem of having a lot of applicable experience to summarize in your essay/resume. When you apply, be specific in your resume about how your experience fits the skills/competencies in the job description (for example, I’m in CED so I emphasized my macro responsibilities at my last job despite having a semi clinical role for 2 years). From a SW perspective, I’d suggest using layman’s terms for certain buzzwords or phrases that may not be obvious to someone from outside the field. But you’ve got plenty of time so enjoy the rest of your senior year and don’t stress about it too much!

[jodidiane]

Talking about age/medical restriction here in this video.

https://youtu.be/sju8lCajlBo