Grad School...AAAHHH!!! Panic!?

Question

They've told us nearly nothing about grad schools and I was wondering:

1. Which grad schools should I be looking at for a m.a. and later a ph.d. in Medical Anthropology?

2. How does one go about applying and when should one apply?

3. How does one go about getting a stipend?

Help please?

Answer 1

First: don't panic.  

Second: this is loooong, but I learned all of this the hard way.

Ok, first off - talk to one of your professors.  Someone who you will ask to write a letter of recommendation, someone who you trust to proof-read your statement of purpose or any essays you might submit.  This person will be able to talk you through the process of applying, and be able to recommend programs for you to look into.

You'll need to take the GRE, that is the basic entrance exam for graduate programs such as anthropology.  You can sign up online and possibly take the exam at a testing center where you will take it on a computer instead of a pencil and paper exam.  Do this sometime this semester, but be sure to give yourself enough time to prepare - the verbal section is difficult!  You might want to look into purchasing a book to help you study, but I don't recommend programs like Kaplan, because they don't always give you the services you believe they will.

You need to look at programs.  Go to departmental websites - what you need to look at is requirements for application, and the FACULTY.  The faculty determines the kind of program you're getting yourself into... so if there is a strong med. anthro. presence in the backgrounds and research interests of the faculty then that would be a good program.  CONTACT the graduate coordinator or someone in the department, asking them questions about the program, the school, etc.

Most programs require what is called a statement of purpose, a written explanation of why you want to go to this school, a bit on your background, and your future goals and what you hope to accomplish in their department.  Keep it short, though!  Be sure to have your department advisor or a close professor read it for you before you send it off!

Letters of recommendation are important, and you may need anywhere from 2 or more depending on the department.  Decide which professors will be able AND WILLING to write an accurate but positive recommendation for you.  If you only had Prof. McX for one class or you got a "D" there's no sense in even asking, right?  If you have trouble coming up with people to ask, it's alright to ask a sorority/fraternity/club advisor, or even your boss for a recommendation, but the professors (and those that are actual PhDs) hold more sway.

Some programs require one to three writing samples.  Make sure you have these - they can be excerpts from a thesis, term papers from previous semesters, etc.  Check with your professor to make sure they are appropriate.

Keep an eye on deadlines!!!!!  Deadlines can range from October to May, but due to funding and program size most anthropology graduate programs only take applications for the fall semester, so deadlines are around winter break and the new year.  Keep a calendar of deadlines.  

Most programs let you apply online now, but don't wait until the last minute to submit.  And be sure to give those writing your letters of recommendation PLENTY of time to do so... otherwise they might not do it!  

As far as funding goes, look into filling out a FAFSA, since as a grad student you aren't required to submit parental information.  This way you can get workstudy and find a job within your department.  Also, some schools have separate deadlines, requiring your application be submitted by a certain date in order to be eligible for departmental grants.  Most of these are based on your grades, writing samples, etc.  You will probably get some sort of funding just by going, though.

IMPORTANT:  Talk with a professor about whether you should apply to only an MA program or a combined MA/PhD program.  Both have various pros and cons.

One program I was looking at was Case Western University, in Cleveland, Ohio.  I, personally, didn't apply there, but they seem to have a very strong focus on medical anthropology - even if you don't want to apply there, perhaps you could email someone in the department to ask about programs, etc?

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

Answer 2

IndyKate had some really great advice.  

I would just add that if you're in the process of looking for programs in medical anthropology, the Society for Medical Anthropology (a section of the American Anthro Assoc) has a really helpful website that specifically lists some programs in medical anthropology.

Here's a link.

http://www.medanthro.net/academic/grad/i...

Case Western is a great program. You might also want to check out the UC Berkeley/ UC San Francisco programs.  There's a lot of joint medical anthro/public health work that goes on between the 2 schools, which is great since UCSC has an amazing social medicine program.  

Also, when you're thinking about schools you might want to think about places where you can pursue an MPH while also doing your anthro grad work. I know that a lot of people find that helpful in doing medical anthropology fieldwork/research.

Ultimately, your choice of departments should be guided by your theoretical and geographical interests as well as the faculty available there.

I would add that if you're hoping for a fellowship/departmental funding, it's often advisable to apply for a joint MA/PhD because it's pretty rare for PhD granting anthropology departments to offer just MA students funding. Also, a lot of better departments won't admit students just for an MA. So, even if you're doubtful about going straight through to the PhD it might not be awful to apply for the PhD...

Good luck!