The foreign service

So, I haven't posted in awhile. I've been busy.

The newest thing we've got going---The Foreign Service.

It all started when I attended a conference a few years ago, stopped at one of the vendor tables, and met a FS Nurse Practitioner. Long story short: I held on to the paperwork, found it last fall, and decided to apply. It was a long shot.

I have a great job here in AZ. I work in a wonderful family practice office, with some fantastic providers and staff, 4 day workweeks, why on earth would I apply for a different job?

I have always dreamed of working, living internationally. Here is my opportunity.

I gathered all the required information for the specialist position, sent it in and forgot about it.

That was back in December. I was really excited at first, but the process is long, so by the time they called--I hadn't thought about it in a couple of months. Late March, my phone rang.

"This is so & so from the state dept. We've reviewed your packet of information and would like to invite you out for an interview"

Me: really?

I booked my airline ticket immediately, called back to confirm the date, and my Oral Assessment/interview was scheduled for May 10th.

Then came the hard part--research. I researched everything I could find on the FS. FS specialists. FS officers. Oral Assessments. Security Clearances. Blogs. Blogs. BLOGS.

I started out searching blogs about healthcare in the FS which retrieved only one. Then I found a great blog A Daring Adventure. This one not only was about the FS, but it had a link, with descriptions, of lots of other FS blogs. Then I became addicted. An addicted blog lurker.

I check them, most of them, my favorite ones. Every. Day. Sometimes multiple times a day. I love them. Its almost like being in the FS already. Reading about bid lists, posts, and waiting--for awhile, it was all I could think about. I can really identify with a few, especially I'll take mine to go ..

Ok, so on with the story.

I went to the interview, as prepared as I could possibly be after many many hours of research, studying, and preparation. And blog reading.

I passed. OMG. I passed.

Moving on to the next step. Most interviews, for most jobs, when they tell you congratulations, it means you HAVE the job. Not so with the FS. After the interview comes more steps in the process, the long process. We just finished the medical clearance paperwork, and will be hitting the send button tomorrow. Now it seems real. I have been lurking and reading blogs, and have reluctantly commented on a few. But now I finally feel like I am far enough along in the process that I am actually one of the 'waiting'. Maybe similar to The B Files. From what I can tell, she is still waiting on her clearance to finalize.

I wonder how many people get to this clearance to finalize stage and do not make it. Worry sets in, but I guess I have zero control over what happens now. Just waiting. I am not a good waiter. I am trying to learn to be a better waiter. Patience is a virtue.

I still have not heard from the security people. Maybe they call after you submit your medical paperwork. We will see.