Placement Officer

So after I sent in my availability information last week, I received an email back saying that my Placement Officer would call me Wednesday at 2pm for the final interview. She all stated that she would be interviewing me for a position in Africa leaving in June.

My original nomination was Asia in June. For a moment I was disappointed because I'd spent the last nine months or so researching and preparing for two years in China or Mongolia. But then I realized that going to Africa meant using my French, it meant going to a place where people don't often vacation, and I got excited again after about 30 seconds.

Africa is a very different experience from Asia. Africa is completely unfamiliar to me, and I am much less likely to have electricity or running water.

Overall, I'm more nervous about it than I was with an Asia nomination, but I'm just as ready to get going! My interview is in about 3 hours and I've been researching possible sites and questions she may ask me. It seems that this interview will be much easier than the one I had in Chicago last year. I hope she gives me info about my placement or at least whether or not I'll be invited!

Finally!

I got an email from a placement officer today, and THANK GOD I'm still in the June-July section. So there's a chance I'll still be going to China, but really REALLY I'll go pretty much anywhere.

So I answered a few basic questions about ideas about placement and availability for a phone interview. Hopefully we'll set that up for next week.

A lot of nominees have said that they find out that they're invited, and sometimes where they're going, at the end of the phone interview. I hope that happens with me.

J'attends et j'attends

On February 22nd, I received an email from the Skills Assessment desk confirming receipt of my final resume. So it took them like five days to open the email, but at least I know they're keeping in touch with me. Their email restated the fact that I should not contact them unless I have a question, and should instead wait patiently for an email from a Placement Officer.

Which I'm still awaiting.

I don't have internet at my house right now, so everyday I find a way to check my email, and everyday I'm disappointed. Then I get on facebook in the "Future PCV" page and all these people are so happy and talking about their POs and invitations. I'm so insanely jealous!

Plus, many programs have been cut or pushed back due to budget cuts and a large influx of applicants. I'd hate to have to wait until August or September to leave, but it seems pretty likely at this point. However, I really won't know until a PO contacts me!!!

It's frustrating. I just want some progress, something to work on!

Updated Resume Request

I finally got an email from placement today for an updated resume. They want a really nice, professional resume with information on my volunteer and work experience. The email also pushes the fact that they will contact me afterwards, and that I may have to wait a while.

I'm just glad things are moving along! I'm going to work on my resume now!

Medical Clearance!

I received my letter today for medical clearance. I felt really excited last week when I thought it would probably be true, but now I still feel anxious. I'm finding it hard to believe that I won't have to call around and make more appointments. But I don't have to! I'm done! Now I'm waiting again, this time for a Placement Officer to contact me. If one doesn't by the end of the week, I'm going to email them. I DO NOT want my staging date to move to September or something.

I realized a few days ago that the most pure happiness I'll experience through this whole process is probably during the application. I was so freaking amazed and thrilled when I was nominated, and last week when I was pretty sure I had medical clearance, I kept reminding myself of it when I was having a hard time at work. When I get my invitation, I'm going to seriously take a couple of days off work just to run around spitting happy.

And I realize that when I actually go to staging, training, and then service, my emotions will probably be more like apprehensive excitement, anxious interest, etc., but never pure excited happiness. So, I've decided to enjoy my application process to its fullest. :)

No News is Good News

The nurse reviewing my case told me yesterday that if I didn't hear anything from her today, then I was medically cleared.

I've heard nothing!!!

I still feel more cautiously optimistic than relieved; it won't be real until MyToolKit updates.

I have some ideas about why I wasn't asked to have extra blood work done for my high BMI. It was unlikely that my nurse missed it because my doctor wrote on my physical form, "BMI of 31, encouraged to lose some weight."

BUT, many people who went through this process said that in addition to the tests they had to go to nutritionists and receive healthy lifestyle counseling...perhaps my doctor's note convinced the nurse that I'd already received the necessary intervention?

Also, high blood pressure is a major issue with being overweight, and my blood pressure was actually under normal. Maybe that's somehow a positive thing?

Anyway, I don't know what it was and I'm not asking because I don't want to point it out if they just missed it. And it's always possible that next week I'll received additional paperwork for it.

Cautiously Optimistic.

Addition Medical Forms and My Current Status

I was Dentally Cleared on February 1, 2012! This was the easy part.

I had a few concerns about my medical history; although it's short, I do have low blood pressure and a high BMI. From what I'd heard, the BMI could merit additional blood work, which takes FOREVER at the reduced-price clinic. I'd waited probably 6 weeks for my blood work to come back last time!

So I felt like I was just waiting for this paper work so I could finally make more appointments and go through all the waiting again, but the paperwork I received from the Medical Office was much easier than I'd expected.

I got two requests in the mail on February 3: an allergy questionaire, and one page of my medical forms asking for clarification on a doctor's note.

So I filled out the questionnaire and made an appointment with my doctor for the following week.

I went in to see her, she made a quick note on my form stating that everything was fine (she DID NOT charge me for the session, because she's an amazing person), and I scanned everything into my email and sent it off to my nurse!

That was today, this afternoon. I was still feeling (still am feeling) apprehensive about having to do additional blood work for my BMI, so I asked in my email whether or not she thought I would need to submit any more information.

At this point, I believe it's safe to assume that she'd viewed my information pretty thoroughly. She kindly responded that she'd be reviewing my documents again in the morning, and that if I didn't hear from her by noon, then I was medically cleared!

I was so thrilled to hear this! I feel like it could still go wrong before noon, but I'm hoping that she'd looked over my information, blood work, seen that I don't have high blood pressure or other obesity related illnesses, and just let it slide....? I don't know. I'll update again tomorrow!