The Application Journey, Part 2: Medical Evaluation

I was considering writing a tutorial about what to expect from the medical review as a resource for future volunteers. The problem is that the entire process has changed. I was one of the last people to go through the former application process (quite literally one of the last--if I had turned my evaluation in just a week or two later I would have potentially had to redo much of it under the new system.) So, instead of doing a tutorial, I'll just share some of my experiences during the medical process. It should still be relatively informative for future applicants going through their reviews as well as let family and friends who are following my blog know a little bit more about what the process was like.

Medical/Dental/Eye Evaluation

The arrival of the medical evaluation packet is exciting and intimidating. The realization that you're on to the next step in a long process, one that you've probably read in some detail about on the Peace Corps website and through blogs of other volunteers who have gone through or are currently going through the same process, is quite exhilarating. Inside the envelope are several documents: the medical evaluation paper work (6-8 pages), the dental evaluation (3-4 pages), eye examination paperwork  (1-2 pages), and various other documents based on your answers to some of the questions in the initial online application.

Medical

The medical is the most extensive evaluation. It is pretty straight forward for the most part. There are several pages that the applicant can fill out on her/his own before even seeing the doctor. But it was important to look through the entire packet. I wish I would have looked at it in more detail so I would have had answers to more questions before seeing the doctor. Here's something I learned--applicants are often more knowledgeable about the Peace Corps application than the doctor. If you tell the doctor what tests need to be done they can do them, but the application isn't always clear and it's important to be your own advocate. I'll give you an example from my experience.

Part of the process of medical evaluation involves blood tests. There are several different tests to complete and most of them are clear. One that I found difficult to get information on was the "G6PD titer". When it came time to do the blood work this test even stumped the nurses at the clinic I was going to. None of them had even heard of it before. 

I tried doing some of my own research while they looked around for what that test might be. I found out a few things that might be helpful for future applicants. First, G6PD (Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase) is a test to see how your body will react to malaria vaccination or medication or both (I can't remember exactly). Basically, the test is done to see whether or not you can go to a country where malaria is a risk. Secondly, calling the test a "titer" is a bit of a misnomer. A titer is a test for antibodies and the G6PD test is looking for levels of chemicals that are always present in blood. So it's not really a titer and that confused some of the technicians at the lab. Lastly, there are two versions of the test: qualitative and quantitative. The Peace Corps requires the quantitative test (the one that actually lists numerical quantities of the results). I spoke to three different nurses and finally they called the blood lab. The technicians at the lab knew what the test was so the clinic sent me to the lab to get all of the blood work done so I wouldn't have to get poked twice.

I arrived at the lab, put my name on the list, and waited to be called. It didn't take long to get in and out and it was actually kind of fun to joke around with the technicians. I'm sure they put up with some cranky people on a daily basis so it was nice to joke and laugh with them. They took my blood and sent me on my way. 

The results came back two or three weeks later. It took a few days to notice it, but when I looked over the results I couldn't find the G6PD titer anywhere. When I inquired about this I found out that they had accidentally left off the order for that blood test when they sent me to the lab. So I had to go back to the clinic to get the doctor's order for the blood work then go to the lab to have it done. As it turns out, the lab I was going to only did the qualitative test and I had to have the blood sent to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (45 minutes from my hometown incidentally) to have the quantitative test done. This meant another two or three weeks of waiting. So, in order to check of a single box on the evaluation forms it took about two months. That could have been avoided if I had checked the order for blood work and compared it to the list on the evaluation form. So, be your own advocate!

Dental Evaluation and Eye Examination

I didn't have any real roadblocks with these other than the dentist's office scheduled one of my dental appointments on a day when the dentist wasn't going to be in and so had to reschedule that appointment for a month later. Other than that the dental evaluation is really basic and the dentist will definitely know what to do. Just make sure you get the correct X-rays done. One of my friends didn't have the right format and had to have them redone.

As for the eye exam, I had mine done at a Walmart and the optometrist who did my exam had actually just gotten back from Kenya where she was volunteering eye exams. We shared stories and joked around. It was a fun exam. Also, I'm 30 and still don't need glass! Each eye individually is 20/40 but together they're 20/30. Score!

Additional Paperwork

I used to smoke and during my last term at university I saw a counselor for about 10 sessions due to a series of issues I had with finding employment, finding housing, and relationship issues. Since they asked about both in the application I said that I had smoked in the past (never mind that it had been years since I had smoked) and that I had seen a counselor briefly (never mind that it was only for a few weeks a third of a decade before filling out the application) I had to get information saying that I had spoken with a doctor about the health consequences of smoking and I had to contact the counseling office I had used, fax them some paperwork, and have them fill it out and return it to the Peace Corps. Just be aware that the answers to your online application are there for a reason. Be prepared to give background information relating to what you answer. For example, I could have had the contact information for the counseling office ready or even contacted them about how I might be able to get my records.

Again, the entire process has changed so I'm not sure how helpful this will be but I imagine the advice I gave should still be of use. Other than that I hope you have a better idea about what the process looks like for applicants. Keep in mind that these are only a few snippets of the process. I started the medical evaluation process in November 2011 and submitted it at the very end of March 2012. It takes time and a lot of footwork. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about the process!