infernalaffair

Hi. I have an English MA from a while back, my academic record was excellent, I'm fluent in three languages and conversant in one more. I'm a published and awarded creative writer. I've been working out of academia full-time and have not until now been able to take seriously the idea of research/education beyond my last degree. I hoped to eventually do a PhD in English. And I would have, except... Over the past few years my research interests have changed considerably, partly because of my life experiences. I've also had reason to think about the effects of the compartmentalization of science and arts education in my country. I have been doing my homework and I also looked up UK/US programs-- it's almost impossible to make this kind of academic switch where I am. (Oh no, aspiring switcher, mature student, AND international?) I have to say that I really like the idea of studying Medical Humanities/Medical Anthropology or History of Science/STS. Some of the things I want to investigate and write about are cultures of biomedicine, illness and caregiving from non-Western perspectives, and histories of regional practices of earth sciences and Archaeology. I understand that the field/s I want to enter are by nature highly interdisciplinary, but see topic title. Is it possible to make this kind of leap this late in the game and expect to be able to pursue it in the long term? (I take for granted that grad school in Humanities OR some Social Sciences will not be lucrative, of course.) I figure I can maybe apply for a 'conversion' MA or the like and, having studied, published, networked, etcetera, if I still feel up to it/get any funding, I can apply for a PhD. *Could* something like that work? I'm asking here because I'm not sure it's even a good idea to email the Anthro faculty at X University or the History faculty at Y University just to find this out. I'd like a bigger picture. Tl;dr has anyone done this before?? What has it been like? Did you work out first which department (History, Philosophy or Anthro seem to be the main ones) to apply under, if it wasn't a dedicated STS program, say? How did you present your decision to make such a switch? How did you approach your POI, the writing sample, etc.?