Society for Medical Anthropology Survey of Applied/Practicing Medical Anthropologists

1. Society for Medical Anthropology Survey of Applied/Practicing Medical Anthropologists November 30, 2007

2. Response Overview • Survey Launched 11/05/2007 - 1:35 PM • Closed 11/30/2007 • Visits = 355 • Partials = 69 • Completes = 224 • Total Number of Questions = 24

3. Whether currently member of SMA

4. Whether currently student member of regular member

5. Duration of SMA membership

6. Whether currently member of SFAA

7. Whether currently member of National Association of Practicing Anthropologists (NAPA)

8. Whether currently full-time or part-time anthropologist * e.g., Grad student, Research post-doc, On the Job Market,

9. If employed, work for: * e.g., University Faculty, College of Public Health, College of Nursing

10. Professional qualification: Highest degree *e.g., M. Phil, M.Ed., ABD

11. Whether multiple degrees

12. Multiple degrees(multiple responses) *e.g., Dr.PH, MSW, MA,ATRIC, CMP

13. Whether received highest degree training in Anthropology department or program

14. Whether “practicing” or “applied” medical anthropologist * e.g., Medical Anthropologist, Nurse Anthropologist, Professional Research Anthropologist

15. Prefer to be called as:(# of responses 214) • Examples: • I call myself an "applied medical anthropologist" to public health crowds, because I want to emphasize the practical qualities of my work. I call myself a "medical anthropologist" to social sciences crowds because I don't think it's necessary to highlight that part of my work that's applied. • "Practicing" seems more involved in the community of the people and practice-based; "applied" seems application of knowledge, thus academic-based. I prefer the former.

16. If applied or practicing medical anthropologist, what do you do that is applied or practicing?(# of responses = 161) • Examples: • Anti-tobacco activities (especially work related to promoting laws to restrict public smoking). • Development of public health interventions, evaluation of interventions, policy advocacy work, etc. • Community-based research; interventions; program planning and evaluation • I run a non-profit organization that supports health projects in Africa and South America. • I develop health communications campaigns that address AIDS prevention

17. Whether working in a position that fully utilizes skills and knowledge as applied/practicing medical anthropologist

18. What SMA can do to better publicize, promote, or educate the public about the skills and qualifications of practicing or applied medical anthropologists(# of responses 153) • Examples: • Promote applied programs with a medical emphasis, encourage currently non-applied programs in medical anthropology to offer their students at least the fundamentals of applied anthropology. • Need to think of ways in which the SMA can have greater visibility in making statements about public policy...this would be one way for increasing the public's awareness of medical anthropology and what it is about.

19. Most relevant or most helpful services of the SMA(# of responses 152) • Examples: • 1) Collegial networking at meetings2) The creation of the Foster Award3) The SMA website • The journal, SMA conference sessions • (1) intellectual nourishment through meetings and outstanding journal; • (2) networking and diminution of sense of isolation

20. Needs that are particular to practicing/applied medical anthropologists and differ from those of academic medical anthropologists(# of responses 155) • Examples: • Developing an understanding of applied work among their peers • Skills in grant writingNetworking possibilities • 1) Interdisciplinary communication effectiveness2) Familiarity with other discipline's research methods; applied folks need much broader & stronger methods training3) Greater concern about practical applications of findings for improving health problems in the 'real-world'

21. What SMA should do to better serve applied/practicing medical anthropologists(# of responses = 107) • Examples: • Development of guidelines for working in different sorts of applied domains outside the academy, and in liaising with medicine and public health institutions. • Promoting research grants • Skills workshops, Ethics workshops, interdisciplinary workshops,

22. Whether SMA should sponsor more practicing skills workshops at professional meetings for anthropologists interested in applied medical anthropology

23. Suggested Workshops(# of responses = 131) • Examples: • How to negotiate a contract when doing consulting. • Assisting students in getting articles printed. • Methodology oriented workshops, rapid assessment techniques, tips & tricks for doing qualitative work on a short timeline • Professional development/careers; evaluation techniques; grant writing; retooling careers

24. Whether SMA should create a licensing or certificate program for applied or practicing medical anthropologists

25. Comments on licensing or certificate program • Examples: • Double-edged sword. Only if it serves the medical anthropologists well; not if it is just a "ticket" to appease other professions' sense of appropriate credentialing (b/c that leads us into other kinds of problems, both with those professions and within our own ranks) • At first blush it looks good, but how does the principle of autonomy and remaining a critical medical anthropologist become protected under such a program? • I have seen this trend in health and I frankly think it is bogus. Usually it is driven by people who are mediocre who want some kind of outside legitimization to charge more money or self gratification

26. Suggestions for the SMA Executive Board • Example: • In the past, much of medical anthropology has been devoted to attacking aspects of biomedical practices and institutions. While carefully structured criticism is very useful, I feel that more progress has been made when medical anthropologists worked in partnership with biomedical and health sciences people, with constructive criticism at times, but also constructive appreciation of the situations and issues faced by the medical and community health people.

27. Thank You • Results will be posted on the SMA website • http/www.medanthro.net