Beginning at a young age, I have been interested in and focused on the field of science, so much so that I chose to get a degree in Human Biology. After completing my degree, I plan to attend pharmacy school. Because my end goal is a career within the realm of healthcare, I found it fitting to look in to medical anthropology. Medical anthropology contributes to the broader themes of anthropology in many ways. Medical anthropology is influenced by social, cultural, biological, and linguistic anthropology.
Before describing different aspects of medical anthropology, I’d like to briefly discuss anthropology in broad terms. According to dictionaries, anthropology is “the study of human societies and cultures and their development.” Under the large umbrella of anthropology are four major subsections: biological, cultural, linguistic, and archaeology. Although each of the four major subsections are equally important, biological anthropology is the most interesting to me because of my passion for the sciences. Within biological anthropology is an even smaller subsection of anthropology – medical anthropology.
An informative website I came across while searching for information about medical anthropology is medanthro.net. This is the website for the Society for Medical Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropological Association. The homepage of the website explains medical anthropology in great detail, and I found it very useful. In addition, the society publishes a journal called the Medical Anthropology Quarterly. In this journal, articles are published that advance important ideas and debates of contemporary medical anthropology.
According to the Society for Medical Anthropology website, there are a plethora of different issues that medical anthropologists focus on. One of the most interesting topics to me is the importance of recognizing that not all cultures practice medicine in the same way. As a future health professional, I believe that this is one of the most important topics to research and learn about. There are many examples of how what Americans are used to, usually referred to as Western medicine, is completely different than medical practices in other regions of the world. An example that is relatable to me is that in America, to legally dispense and sell medications one must obtain certain levels of education (usually a Pharm. D. degree) and a license. In addition, to buy most drugs, one needs a prescription for that specific drug from a medical doctor. From my knowledge, there are many countries that people are able to purchase any drug at any given time without a prescription from a medical doctor and a licensed pharmacist is not involved. Considering all of the laws and regulations that exist in the United States, this seems ridiculous to someone who has only experienced a pharmacy in the U.S. All of the laws and regulations that exist in the United States regarding medicine are important and valued. The consequences for not obeying them are extreme. Although this is only one small aspect of medical anthropology, it is an umbrella topic because it encompasses the idea that not all cultures and societies practice medicine in the same way, and that is due to the history and anthropology of each culture.
Your post about medical anthropology was very interesting to me as I too am interested in the medical field post-graduation. I found the idea of different cultures practicing medicine in different ways most interesting. The idea that two cultures can effectively treat an illness or injury in completely different ways and still be equally effective is very interesting especially in the modern world where the internet makes it, so cultures are no longer isolated by geography. This makes me think that the previous cultures and traditions as well as the available plants and materials influenced how certain cultures practice modern medicine. For example, green tea and green tea extract is a commonly used as an anti-inflammatory in China and Japan, but not in the western hemisphere. This could be due to the abundance of the plant in these to regions in the past, but it not being available in the west until global trade and colonization started.
After reading this post I have found it extremely interesting. Especially since you have always wanted to pursue a career in science, and I have too. Medical anthropology caught my eye when watching and listening to the lectures. Also considering I have always wanted to be a doctor and go to medical school after graduation. It was definitely interesting to read about the way that different cultures practice medicine compared to what most of us have grown up with here in the United States. I will most likely be looking into how some people can get drugs whenever they want without a prescription and see how that impacts the culture of those living in those specific countries. Although I didn’t do my blog post about medical anthropology, it was nice to hear about your findings.
I also decided to research Medical Anthropology. I have some very similar interests. I agree with many of the things you talked about related to the laws in medicine and the ideas surrounding that. I also agree that different cultures practice medicine differently and I love that you talked about that in your post.
I enjoyed reading your post about medical anthropology. Hearing your background along with your future goals bridged the post together well. Your comment on the importance of recognizing that not all cultures practice medicine in the same way stood out to me the most. Following that thought, I agree that because of the cultural differences in history and anthropology, people all over the world don’t practice medicine the same way. It’s an interesting thought to see how anthropology plays a role in so many other aspects in our lives than one would normally think about. One of my follow up questions would be, what do you think could be potential solutions to bridge this gap in our system? What kind of role could our current doctors and government do to help this? I also believe it could be an extreme issue.