The Medical Anthropologist as Health Department Consultant

Abstract

Medical anthropology is often poorly understood by those who are not a part of the discipline. When working with other health care professionals, medical anthropologists are commonly asked to explain what their field is, what they do, and how they can assist clinicians and public health officials in appropriating better health care for their patients/clients. Many assume that medical anthropologists are always on excavations like archaeologists or that we are very similar to biologists. To counteract such misconceptions and misinterpretation, we need to develop practical applications of our work so that others can benefit from our expertise, and we need to market our skills better. In sum, practical strategies are needed in applied medical anthropology in order to justify our existence in economic and sociopolitical terms with various health organizations.