My daughter started her service about 18 months after the process began. However, she did Masters International so year of that time was spent in grad school. She is very adaptable and had no problems, but as stated earlier, lots of people do. Her first house had a pit toilet, the second bucket baths. Neither had any heat other than one stove and electricity could be intermittent. She would listen to her water bottles contract in her room as they froze during the night. She loved her time and is now living in her second country overseas since her PC time ended.
You have to pass physicals and there are multiple interviews. She almost was denied because of the type of work a relative does. It is very intense and many people don’t make it through.
Cap makes a great point. As I recall, the medical packet was tons of pages long. My DD had to get statements from every doctor who had seen her outside of primary care. And there is also a security clearance which is done.
My daughter had no electricity or running water at her site. She had her own private pit latrine, and did bucket showers. She cooked on a small kerosene stove, or with charcoal. No refrigeration either. We sent her with a lot of solar things…solar lanterns, flashlights, solar charger for her phone and computer. She had a fabulous village and that made all the difference. Even now, three years later, her PC friends comment about how wonderful her little village was. She was welcomed right away.
My daughter keeps in touch via Facebook with many from her village. She hopes to return there to visit at some point.
Another family member returned to her remote Peace Corps village 10 or 12 years after she left. When she arrived, folks immediately recognized her, and rounded up,the whole village. She said it was amazing. She has been back two additional times.
A friend went through the Peace Corps and met her husband while serving. She counts it as one of the best things she’s ever done (and not just because of her husband )
Among the former Peace Corps volunteers I know - high school teacher, environmental engineer, biostatistician, medical researcher, ER doctor, several nurses, IT manager, epidemiologist, public administrator. I know quite a few former volunteers, and while I would classify many of them (myself included) as tree huggers, I don’t know a single one who lives off welfare.
I’ll add to the list…Ph.D. Public Health specialist, Investment banker, journalist, business owner, med school student, soon to be grad school student.
I have a niece who is now 31. She did the Peace Corps in west Africa, lived in very primitive conditions as described above. She met her now husband (another PC volunteer) there. She now works for a division of Baxter Inc and he works for a division of Price Waterhouse. I am sure they both consider their PC experiences to be very positive overall. On the negative side she sustained an injury to her hand while on duty and it was extremely difficult to get either appropriate treatment in the short term or to get the PC to authorize proper diagnosis and treatment in the long term, and she ended up with some permanent damage. I’m not talking about a major disability, but damage that would’ve been easily avoided in a first world country.
My son is doing his first semester of course work for his Peace Corps Masters International program (PCMI), the same arrangement as cap’s daughter’s; a masters degree coupled with a stint in the PC. He will leave for his assignment next summer in a yet to be determined location, consequently, I’ve spent a lot of time on the PC website. They claim that the approval process now takes 3 months (apply in January, receive notification in March, leave in August). Sounds like a vast improvement.
In regard to the OP’s question of whether her/his son will fall behind in the business world if he take time out for the PC, isn’t there a chance that he’ll come back and fall ahead of his peers. Global contacts, real world experience, resourcefulness, patience, compassion, these are all traits I’d like our business leaders to possess.
An aside to cap, hoosiermom, and thumper1: thanks for answering my questions last year about the Peace Corps! You are fonts of information and have awe inspiring kids.
My dad used to work in the business side of the Peace Corps, and he’s mentioned that quite a few volunteers have difficulty adjusting back to a more rigidly scheduled life (i.e. a desk job) after living in a relatively relaxed/adaptive environment for 2 years. I don’t know how representative this anecdote is for the majority of volunteers, though; I just thought I might offer a slightly different perspective.
@QuirkyClarkie There are plenty of careers out there that are not solely “desk jobs”. MANY.
Also, my kid would say that her PC environment was not relaxed. Not at all. There were times when it was relaxing…but the whole time was not. I mean how relaxing is it to live someplace with no amenities whatsoever…no electricity, no running water, no toilets, no refrigeration, no “stove”. Every day was an adventure!
Adaptive…yes. PCVs have to adapt to,a variety of situations and circumstances…including a vastly different culture, and language…and a totally different way of life.
My kid took a six week trip with friends, when her PC service was over…and part of that was to get back into the western way of life slowly. It helped that our kid spent two of those six weeks with former PC volunteers who really understood what it was like to leave the PC.
And most important…my kid said the hardest thing she ever had to do,was leave her wonderful village after being there for two years.
)