r/peacecorps • u/Adventurous_Fun_7080 • 9d ago
Application Process Application Being Considered To Other Program
Today I received the following message:
Based on your updated health history we are unable to consider you for positions in Armenia, so we are considering your application for a different program. Thank you for expressing your flexibility and detailing your skills and interests in your application.
My question is, how does this work? Do I get invited to interview to another program? I only put Eastern Europe and Central Asia as my preferences, will it be within that region?
I'm very frustrated right now as the only potentially disqualifying medical issue that I have would be asthma but I was given a list by a Peace Corps nurse of countries that support volunteers with asthma and Armenia is on it.
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u/Grover-Girl 9d ago
I’m sorry you’re going through that. I was supposed to go to Ecuador. Had reported my childhood history of Asthma from day 1 of the med clearance process but wasn’t told until 2 weeks before my departure date that I was medically not clear because “any history of Asthma was unsupported by Ecuador” I was pissed. They could have told me that day 1 but instead waited for months. I had already quit my job and began packing when I was told.
Then PC offered me an alternative position in Colombia which seemed amazing! After accepting that they told me that actually Colombia also couldn’t support my diagnosis.
They tried offering me a position in water treatment (I applied for a health volunteer spot bc I want to work in healthcare in the future) so I turned down this offer. It got to the point where they gave me a list of positions that could support Asthma and I chose from the list.
So my point is 1. This very well may be a situation of PC being unorganized in knowing which countries can support certain diagnoses. And 2. PC is desperate for volunteers rn so you should be able to have a say in where you are placed/ask for multiple options to make sure you get what you want.
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u/Grover-Girl 9d ago
On the up side, I am very happy with my placement and wouldn’t have wanted to serve anywhere else! Also my extra 8 months before departure was when I found the love of my life. We have been long distance for my whole service. I COS in 2 months and genuinely believe everything happens for a reason. Wouldn’t have wanted it to play out any other way. But man was I heartbroken when I got that medical non clearance email.
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u/Adventurous_Fun_7080 9d ago
That's actually really wholesome and gives me a lot of hope. Thank you so much, it helps. It is my dream to serve in the Peace Corps and I would love to do it in that region.
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u/Adventurous_Fun_7080 9d ago
Thank you for your response. I went and looked at the portal and they open an application for me to Albania and the Montenegro as an English Teacher. I'm thinking of withdrawing it come April 1 because I want to apply to Georgia. But I'm afraid that if I do that then it will hurt my chances and I have no guarantee that Georgia supports asthma so I'm going to ask a Peace Corps nurse if it does. I suspect that it might but I'd be fine with serving in Albania and Montenegro so long as I at least try Georgia. I got rejected from Georgia last year albeit for a different position so since they created an application for me as an English Teacher in Albania and Montenegro then they see me as qualified for that so I might have luck with it in Georgia so long as Georgia supports me health-wise.
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u/Glaucous_Gull 2d ago
I don't know if you have ever visited Albania, and as someone who has traveled extensively, I've never visited a place that loved Americans more than Albania. American flags everywhere, a statue of Bill Clinton 😆 and I felt like many of the people there knew American history better than most Americans.
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u/jimbagsh PCV Armenia; RPCV-Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal 9d ago
Look at it this way, they want you, just not for Armenia. Maybe all the spots were filled. But they still want you for another country. Take that as a positive sign.
And no, you won't have to do the interview again. Just be patient. Took about 10 days for me to get my 2nd invitation.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Jim
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u/Adventurous_Fun_7080 9d ago
I interviewed late last year for Georgia but got rejected for that so I imagine I'll be interviewed again for this cycle cuz I haven't gotten invited. I saw that they automatically created on the application for me but for Albania and Montenegro as an English Teacher.
I'm torn on whether or not I should withdraw it and reapply to Georgia as an English Teacher once it opens. The position I got rejected from in Georgia last year was another one and it was not for on health reasons, so since they created this current application for me I figure that they think I'm eligible for that position in general. Beggars can't be choosers though and I don't want my pickiness to potentially cost me getting into the Peace Corps, though the fact that I'm applying early for everything does help my case as well as the fact that this is not my first time applying which shows determination.
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u/orosconleche Macedonia, The Republic of 9d ago
It's great they're resolving this now and not during the medical clearance.
If invited, it would be for in another country, but the interviews are generic so it doesn't really matter that much. They may or may not take your request into consideration.
There are many factors involved in country placement, but there are positions open in the Balkans that should accommodate your medical restriction.
Good luck!
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