Final Medical Clearance!

Today I finally received this long-awaited email from the Peace Corps Office of Medical Services:

Needless to say, I was so relieved. Anybody who has seriously researched the Peace Corps application process has undoubtedly come across the 'horror stories' of Peace Corps applicants who, after months of working their way through the application process, are deferred or denied final medical and/or dental clearance because of a current or past medical condition. I read a blog of one past applicant who actually spent over two years trying to ascertain  medical clearance, but got repeatedly deferred for one medical condition or another. 

I can happily say the same fate didn't befall me. To be sure, the medical clearance process was cumbersome and occasionally frustrating, but I luckily didn't run into any major obstacles that I couldn't handle. Most of the medical tasks required for final clearance were understandable and straightforward. 

The process consists of obtaining a host of required immunizations and/or boosters (easily obtained at the local health department), a full physical and dental exam, blood work for a series of lab tests (CBC, Metabolic Panel, HIV, Hepatitis, etc.) any required dental work (I had to get a couple cavities filled) and a some other miscellaneous tasks. 

The only issue I had was the fact that my white blood cell count on my CBC test was abnormally low. My pre-service nurse - the individual responsible for reviewing my medical file - requested that I obtain a repeat CBC to see if it was a fluke. I had the bloodwork done the next day and submitted it for her review. My WBC count was back within the normal range and I was thus medically cleared. 

On a side note, I even more indebted to my parents now. The Peace Corps doesn't cover most of the costs associated with the medical clearance process. There is some cost-sharing available for the yellow fever immunization and the physical/dental exam(s), but it usually amounts to a small percentage of the total amount billed. 

Fortunately, my mother has an excellent health insurance policy through her employer. Besides some minimal co-pays and fees, I didn't incur any direct costs. 

Now that the medical and dental clearance process is complete, I can focus all my attention on packing, language lessons, and spending some quality time with friends and family. Only 36 more days...!