What is Medical Anthropology? A Virtual Conversation among Graduate Students in the Field: Watch the Recording

Recorded on Monday, November 6th, this Miami Institute forum on the field of medical anthropology was curated by four doctoral students at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and the City University of New York (CUNY): Gemma Galvez, Sergio A. Rivera Rodriguez, Stephanie Salgado, and Liz Perez. The forum curators brought us into conversation on: “What exactly is ‘medical anthropology’ and what value, if any, is there in studying and belonging to this field?” Please watch the recording by following this link or by clicking on the below image.

Forum Curators' Bios:

Gemma Galvez: I am a third year PhD student in Public Health at Florida International University, and as a Cuban-born immigrant, I have had exposure to several cultures, contexts, and events that have greatly shaped my life and helped me better understand the world around me. I graduated with an M.Ed/Ed.S from the University of Florida in 2017, and have experience working in research labs, schools, hospitals, emergency influx shelters, immigrant unaccompanied minor programs, and community health centers. My research passions include health education and communication, health policy, emergency management, and Hispanic immigrants.

Sergio A. Rivera Rodriguez: Sergio A. Rivera Rodriguez is currently a fourth year Health Policy Ph.D. student at the City University of New York. Currently, Sergio is engaged in a qualitative research project examining how energy independence impacts the health of individuals living with chronic heath diseases. His primary areas of interest are mental health, coloniality, health economics, and healthcare systems.

Stephanie Salgado: Stephanie Salgado has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a master’s in Environment, Culture, and Media. She is pursuing a PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University. Through (auto)ethnography, her research analyzes how patriarchy and Catholicism have affected how alternate healing practices are viewed and engaged in Tela and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Liz Perez: Liz Perez is a first year PhD student in the FIU Global and Sociocultural Studies program. She is researching contemporary Western Lucid Dreaming practices, spiritual tourism, and their intersections with Eastern Healing traditions, such as Tibetan Buddhism. Her topics of interest include debates within cultural appropriation, epistemic violence, and cultural relativism. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Florida International University, and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Florida International University.