Sidebar #22 - Why might someone be separated from Peace Corps?

A quick disclaimer before reading this: I am in no way considering terminating my Peace Corps service. I’m very happy here in Costa Rica. Rather, I felt like this would be an important “FAQ” about serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer and would be a good thing to address in a sidebar blog.

Peace Corps service is tough and isn’t for everyone. As much as I’d love to see everyone who matriculates as a Peace Corps Volunteer complete his or her 27-month service, that simply isn’t the reality. Peace Corps has taken many steps in recent years to address retention, and that’s something I applaud. However, it is still natural that each cohort loses at least a handful of volunteers by attrition.


The first way a volunteer’s service may end is by early termination (ET). While interviewing to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, and throughout the process, it was made clear that anyone can resign his or her post, at any time, without penalty. This is what ET is - a voluntary resignation. Peace Corps will pay for a flight to send you home, but you won’t retain any of the benefits that come with service, like Non-Competitive Eligibility for positions in the federal government. 


Another common way, albeit a sad one, for a volunteer leaving a host country is through medical separation or evacuation. Unfortunately, I’ve had to say goodbye to a couple friends in my cohort due to their medical separation in recent weeks and that was probably the inspiration for this sidebar. Peace Corps is famously strict when it comes to medical clearances, and they really don’t risk anything related to the health and safety of volunteers. A medical separation or evacuation is the decision of the PCMOs (Peace Corps Medical Officers) rather than a voluntary resignation.


In more extreme circumstances, you may be administratively separated, also known as an Admin Sep. This is typically reserved for someone who either breaks Peace Corps rules, local/federal laws, or simply isn’t a good fit for the program. This is the decision of Peace Corps admin, not of the volunteer, and generally has a more negative connotation than a resignation.


And finally, something I took for granted before arriving in Costa Rica is that swearing-in as a volunteer in the first place isn’t a given. The first three months are spent in something called PST, or Pre-Service Training. These are long, 8:00-5:00 days dedicated to sector and language training. To swear-in, you must meet a number of competencies including written and practicum exams as well as meeting the language standard (intermediate-high for Spanish in Costa Rica). Unfortunately, we had a couple of volunteers not reach these standards and thus could not swear in as volunteers. 


The vast, vast majority of volunteers in my cohort are still in Costa Rica and are thriving in their service. I only write this piece because I think it’s a natural question that may pop up for those interested in learning more about the Peace Corps. 

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