thomez

Yeah I understand that. I have very little desire to live the life of academia which is why I will not be continuing beyond the Masters at my current school. Good luck with your scholarships.

So you are ready to go for the 3rd Masters? Impressive!

Many PhD programs will grant you a Masters degree on the way, after a certain level of progress in your PhD pursuits. Those PhD programs will be advertised as not offering a terminal MA degree. Emory works this way, for example.

Read the link. That's really disappointing to read about the state of affairs there. I was looking into the joint program in Medical Anthropology (with UCSF), but I suppose that is a bad idea considering they do not have a single Biological Anthropologist at the moment. Yes, I know they teach Medical Anth as part of cultural, but get real, it is biology at its core. To get to your question, I think an undergrad background in Biology will be perfectly suited to many modern BioAnth programs and it should be beneficial when applying to such.

Thanks for all of the great info. Anyone have an opinion on the utility of a PhD in Medical Anthropology for one wishing to work in a global health setting for an NGO or the like? Which do you suppose is better suited for this work, a medical anthropologist or someone educated in Public Health? They seem to be greatly overlapping to me, but I'm not sure which is looked upon more favorably in terms of hiring.

Thank you. I do not have previous work experience in that field - I was considering applying to programs that would give me some valuable experience, possibly even a program that involves Peace Corps service abroad. What is an entry-level job in such a field? For example, I looked at WHO jobs and all seemed to require years of experience - from what organizations are they pulling their newly-experienced job candidates? Thanks again for all input thusfar, it has been very helpful.

Non-arrogant-but-it-may-come-off-that-way-unintentionally statement: I'm sure I could do very well in a biostatistics program, and probably have suitable math skills and training to get into one. 720 on my math GRE with minimal prep means I could improve further there if needed. Honest statement: I don't want to do the math, make the models, sit in front of a computer, etc. for my professional life. I can do it, but I have no passion for it. I want to find something more hands-on (even if both are equally necessary to get the job done). I'm much more interested in treatment and prevention of tropical diseases in an epidemiology-type role. I took an undergrad course in Darwinian/Evolutionary Medicine and was fascinated. However, I'm not sure I am adequately prepared for a PhD program in such. I've had a graduate Immunology course and could take at least one and maybe 2 further related courses before the completion of my current program. Also will finish with 8 hours of graduate level statistics (3 hours stats, Calc 1, Calc 2 in undergrad). What do you guys think? I could also continue looking for a PhD program in Medical Anthropology but I'm not sure if the large employers look upon that equally with a background specifically in public health. Not sure there. Input appreciated.

I have considered it but I do not likely have the knowledge base expected of a DrPH applicant. Undergrad Antho, working on MA in Biological Anthro but not much related to human health at all. I should finish this program with a strong statistics background, a course in Immunology, a course in Genetics, and a course in Brains/Hormones/Behavior. Not sure if that is enough relevant experience to apply to DrPH programs. Opinion? My career goal is to work in a private or NGO setting, not excited about academia.

Curious if anyone has any input on this issue. Working on an MA in Biological Anthropology right now, considering applying to MPH programs after the completion of this program - realization has hit me that what I want to do (international health related work) might not be best suited to Anthro, other than a few isolated departments that offer Medical Anthro programs (which I will likely also apply to, such as Case Western Reserve). Is it common for MPH applicants to already have a Masters degree? How would that be looked at? BS from Tulane. I have a 1300 GRE score w/5.5 writing (could retake it and improve if needed), and plan to finish my MA program with a solid GPA and a quality thesis + publication. I was hoping this would make me a competitive applicant at some of the top MPH programs but I've also considered that it may be frowned upon by some to be seen as hopping from one program to another both at the Masters level. Looking for your input. Thank you.