Peace Corps seeks physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants with independent practice experience for 2-year contract positions overseas as Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMOs). PCMOs provide health care, education, counseling and manage the Volunteer health care delivery system in the country of assignment. PCMOs recruited and contracted through headquarters in Washington serve in eastern Europe, former Soviet Union countries, a few Asian countries and in Africa.
Peace Corps recruits PCMOs continuously, with no closing dates. PCMOs serving in Central and South America are recruited in the host countries. Starting salary: low-60s K. Require valid license and national certification. Applicants with overseas work experience will be most competitive.
The Washington, D.C. headquarters office of Peace Corps also hires physicians and nurses to serve as employees, rather than contractors, in the headquarters office. In addition, the Peace Corps hires physicians to serve in Africa. If you are interested in a direct hire position, find out more about current overseas vacancy announcements.
Important Note: Due to national security efforts to ensure the delivery of safe mail, the Peace Corps continues to experience delays in receiving mail through the U.S. Postal System.
All first-class U.S. Postal System flat (not parcel) mail addressed to the Peace Corps continues to be sent for processing for decontamination before it is distributed. This includes express mail, certified mail and registered mail.
For these reasons, if you have sent materials to the Peace Corps via regular mail and are concerned about their delivery, we recommend that you resend those materials, either by commercial express mail or by fax. If you are sending materials to the Peace Corps for the first time, we also recommend sending them by commercial express mail or fax.
Duties and Responsibilities
PCMOs are the primary health care providers for American Peace Corps Volunteers and Trainees. Residing in the country of assignment for the two-year contract period, the PCMO manages and implements the total Volunteer health care delivery system in the country, in accordance with standard medical practice and the official guidelines established by Peace Corps.
PCMOs are fully participating members of the Peace Corps country team and play an important role in formulating in-country Peace Corps policies that affect Volunteer health and safety. The PCMO works under the supervision of the Country Director for all administrative matters. For all medical, technical and patient-care issues, the PCMO reports to the Office of Medical Services (OMS) at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, DC. PCMOs serving in Africa also report to their Area Peace Corps Medical Officer as well as OMS on patient-care issues.
In some countries, the PCMO also provides health and medical care to non-Volunteers who have been deemed eligible by the Peace Corps to receive care. Recipients may include employees or contractors of United States Government agencies, including the Peace Corps. In the event that non-Volunteers are deemed eligible for such services, the PCMO will be offered the opportunity to sign a separate contract with the Department of State to obtain indemnification related to their care. The PCMO is on call after hours and on week-ends and holidays for emergencies among all personnel eligible for services.
There are more than 100 PCMOs worldwide. Close to 70 percent are recruited and contracted in the host countries. PCMOs recruited and contracted through headquarters in Washington, DC serve worldwide with the exception of positions in Central and South America, which are filled in the host countries.
PCMO positions are contract positions that must be filled in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (the FAR). Contractors are obligated for two years. The vast majority of PCMO positions contracted through the headquarters' office are limited to licensed and nationally certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Physicians are welcome to apply and occasionally a position may be open to a registered nurse with highly specialized qualifications.
The starting salary for all applicants is in the sixty thousand dollar range. Compensation is determined by reviewing earning history, education, experience and other factors. Standard benefits include furnished housing and utilities, round-trip air fare, sick and annual leave, US and host-country holidays, allowances for shipment and storage of household effects, and reimbursement, up to a stated amount, for life, health and medical evacuation insurance. Because the PCMO position is an accompanied position, the legal spouse and minor dependents of the contractor also receive benefits.
The Peace Corps Office of Medical Services recruits continuously for the PCMO position, so there are no closing dates. PCMO selection panels convene periodically in order to interview, rate and rank applicants. Those determined by a selection panel to be qualified are placed on a roster from which offers of assignments are made as positions become available. If, after studying the materials contained in this package, you remain interested in a PCMO position, please apply following the process described below.
