Nurse on Vacation
I called Medical to check up on my appeal status. Unexpectedly to me, the nurse assigned to my file is out of the office until April 25 (a whole week) and the number she says to call in her message is a wrong number. I tried calling my Placement officer. She wasn't in the office. I called Peace Corps headquarters and a guy forwarded me to a message machine telling me to email all medical questions to a particular email address. I called headquarters again telling the same guy I wanted to talk to an actual person in Medical. He forwarded me to the Office of Medical Services. I explained that I wanted to check up on the status of my appeal and that my original nurse is out of the office until next Monday. I got forwarded again to another nurse. I explained everything again. She essentially told me there was nothing she could do. She called up my file and said there was no note saying anything about an appeal. She told me all I could do was wait until the nurse assigned to my file got back from vacation. I told her I just wanted to check and see if she had forwarded my personal statement to the physicians like she said she would by the end of the week last week. She said, "I can't find that out. She may have or she may not have gotten around to it."
Then she said, "when is the program you're trying to get cleared for leaving?"
"June 29."
"Oh you've got plenty of time then. You just have to wait until she gets back to the office. I'll tell her you called. Don't get excited about this. Don't try to rush anything."
Then I got an email back from my Placement contact telling me she expects the program I'm trying to get cleared for to be filled "in a couple weeks." From my perspective, it seems like there will be very little time for my appeal to go through after my nurse gets back from vacation.
Hi! I have been nominated for Asia departing in July 2011. I have received Dental Clearance, but am still waiting for Medical Clearance. I feel very sympathetic for you. I may be medically deferred for 6 months - 1 year, which is why I am very anxious to hear back from medical. I sent an e-mail to my nurse on Monday, but have not received a response, so I am assuming we me have the same nurse (G. Mitchell) and she is on vacation. It would be an amazing opportunity to an English Professor in China! I hope it works out for you!
ReplyDeleteAlas! I would be very anxious as well.
ReplyDeleteNot the same nurse. I don't want to give her name.
I would call if I were you. In my experience, emails are easily overlooked/forgotten/buried. If you don't know the number of your nurse, call the Office of Medical Services. I know if you try to call OMS they send you to a message machine telling you to email them. But if you have a specific concern like yours, call headquarters and tell the operator to transfer you to a screening nurse.