MASTER OF MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY &

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAMS*

RATIONALE

Advances in medical care and health systems have enabled the alleviation of many of the ills
of humanity. Nonetheless, it is also increasingly becoming apparent that development and
utilization of modern biomedical interventions have inherent limits, and have had variable
effectiveness particularly among divergent populations and societal circumstances.

Medical anthropology offers many perspectives to meet today’s challenges:

First, at the level of the individual, medical anthropology dissects beliefs and practices,
looking particularly at symbols and meanings and how these impact on people’s behavior.
Medical anthropology relates health beliefs and practices to a broader cultural framework,
including people’s values, norms, worldviews, and religions. The discipline emphasizes
cross-cultural surveys, an important point given the cultural pluralism we have in the
Philippines.

At another level, medical anthropology looks at the social contexts in which symbols and
meanings are formed. It is concerned with how people learn about health and illness,
specifically the roles played by social institutions such as families, communities, religious
groups, schools, and mass media. This perspective also looks into the “sick role” and health-
seeking behavior of patients and their networks of relatives and friends, and how these
change with each consultation with a health care provider. Medical anthropology, in
conjunction with sociology, also looks at the different sectors of health care: (a) the
professional, (b) the folk and (c) the popular.

At the third level, medical anthropology offers models of political economy to dissect the
macro structures that affect health and illness, from government policies to promotional
practices of drug companies, from health financing schemes to legislative initiatives. This
perspective also emphasizes how power relations in society affect health and illness, from
workplace relations between employers and employees to gender relations. The political
economy perspective also looks at global health, to examine how processes of globalization
impact on health, illness and health care.

Finally, medical anthropology offers cultural ecological perspectives, showing how genetics,
demography, the natural environment and culture interact. Sometimes referred to as a
medical ecological perspective, this level of analysis shows how health and disease are
functions of the interaction of human culture and the natural environment.

On a more pragmatic level, practitioners of Medical Antropology are needed for the
following:

a) Medical and health professional training institutions– With the trend toward more
problem-oriented curricula, we will need medical anthropologists who can teach
courses that orient students toward an understanding of health and illness as they
relate to society, culture, politics, economics and ecology.

*
Approved by the University Council, UP Manila, April 7, 2011.
 Ultimately, medical, nursing and other health professional institutions which are
able to introduce a strong social orientation in their training will produce
graduates who will be more effective in their clinical practice, being able to tap
into the social and cultural contexts of patients.

b) Research institutions – Health research institutions often need social scientists to

advise them on their research into a host of issues, for example, tropical diseases
research, HIV/AIDS prevention, policy environment studies, impact evaluation.
Medical anthropologists are sorely needed to help design and implement these
research projects. Major donors such as the World Bank, the German GIZ, the US
Agency for International Development (USAID) the British Department for
International Development (DFID) are only a few of the institutions that have
called for research proposals into society and health but often get little
participation from the Philippines and Asia because of a lack of trained medical
anthropologists.

c) Service institutions – For both government agencies, particularly the Department

of Health, and non-government organizations (NGOs) involved in health care, the
lack of medical anthropologists has often resulted in poorly planned health
interventions, ranging from inappropriate information and education materials to
poor patient adherence with medication (e.g., for tuberculosis, or for
antiretrovirals in HIV/AIDS) or with other health advice. The losses are
immeasurable because of the lack of input from trained medical anthropologists.

PROGRAM GOALS

The main goal of the proposed program is to train a corps of medical anthropologists who can
contribute to health care by adopting a multi-level understanding of health and medical care
as they relate to culture, society, politics, economics and ecology. This goal is in line with the
stated Vision of the College of Medicine, which states, to wit, ““a community of scholars
highly competent in the field of medicine with a heightened social consciousness … (and)
committed to the development of Philippine society…”

The proposed courses introduce students to the general study of this specialization. Basic
concepts and theories used by medical anthropologists in their research and analysis are
discussed, and main fields of study are delineated. Students learn how illness, well-being,
health and health care can be studied as social and cultural phenomena. Students also discuss
the practical relevance of such an approach, and become acquainted with methodological
approaches in medical anthropology.

In consonance with the research thrusts of the university, the program has the additional goal
of promoting research competencies in the field of Medical Anthropology by way of a
Masters of Science degree. Nonetheless, to allow interested professionals access to the field,
a non-thesis option is also offered.

The Master of Medical Anthropology program (MMA), which is the non-thesis degree
alternative, is designed to train medical professionals, teachers in medical and health
professional schools, and people working in health and development programs to enhance
their medical competence through a more culturally-sensitive approach.
The Master of Science in Medical Anthropology (MScMA) requires additional units of
coursework and a thesis. It is designed for those who wish to acquire competence for doing
cross-cultural research around health and medical issues and pursue an academic career.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

All students are to be initially enrolled in the MScMA program. After they have satisfactorily
finished 12 units of core courses and before they enroll in the thesis course, students will
have to officially communicate should they opt to pursue the MMA program instead. Such a
request may be made only once, and is subject to the approval of the Program Committee.

COURSEWORK

Comparative Presentation of Recommended Courseworks for MMA and MScMA

MScMA MMA
Course Units Course Units
First Year, First Semester First Year, First Semester
MA 201 3 MA 201 3
MA 211 3 MA 211 3
MA 231 3 MA 231 3
MA 299.1 3 MA 299.1 3
First Year, Second Semester First Year, Second Semester
MA 221 3 MA 221 3
MA 299.2 3 MA 298 3
MA 298 3 Elective Course 1 3
Elective Course 1 3 Elective Course 2 3
Second Year, First Semester Second Year, First Semester
Elective Course 2 3 Elective Course 3 3
MA 300 6 Elective Course 4 3
Comprehensive Examination
TOTAL 33 30

Core Courses, required for both MMA and MScMA

Medical Anthropology 201 (Perspectives in Medical Anthropology) 3 units

Medical Anthropology 211 (Medical Ecology) 3 units
Medical Anthropology 221 (Political Economy & Social Epidemiology) 3 units
Medical Anthropology 231 (Cultural History of Health Care Systems) 3 units
Medical Anthropology 299.1 (Medical Anthropology Research Methods I) 3 units
Medical Anthropology 298 (Independent Studies) 3 units

Additional Core Courses, required for MScMA

Medical Anthropology 299.2 (Medical Anthropology Research Methods II) 3 units

Medical Anthropology 300 (Master’s Thesis) 6 units

Additional Requirements for MMA

All students are required to to pass a comprehensive examination upon completion of all the
program course work.
Elective Courses for both MMA and MScMA

At least 6 units of Elective Courses may be selected from the prescribed list of additional
course offerings from UP Manila CM, CAS, CPH, or UP Diliman CSSP. Faculty mentors will
guide students in the choice of electives taking into consideration degree options and research
interests.

LIST OF ADDITIONAL ELECTIVE COURSES

College of Medicine, UP Manila

Bioethics 221 Socio-political and Policy Contexts of Bioethics 3 units

Bioethics 224 Bioethics and International Health 3 units
(Pre-Requisite Bioethics 201)
Bioethics 222 Culture and Bioethics 3 units
Bioethics 223 Gender and Bioethics 3 units
(Pre-requisite Bioethics 201)
Clinical Epidemiology 211 Fundamentals of Clinical Epidemiology 2 units
Clinical Epidemiology 213 Critical Appraisal of Medical Literature 1 unit
Clinical Epidemiology 298 Seminars in Health Social Science 2 units
Health Informatics 201 Health Informatics 3 units
Health Professions Psycho-philosophical Foundation of HPEd 3 units
Education 201
Health Professions Instructional Design 2 units
Education 221

College of Arts and Sciences, UP Manila

Health Policy Studies 221 Political Dynamics in the Health Policy Process 2 units
Health Policy Studies 222 Comparative Study of Health Policy
Development in Asia Pacific 2 units
Health Policy Studies 223 Issues in International Health and Policy 2 units
Health Policy Studies 231 Health Policy and Quality of Life 2 units
Health Policy Studies 235 Social Epidemiology 2 units
Health Policy Studies 236 Sociology of Health 2 units

College of Public Health, UP Manila

Public Health 207 Health Policy and Epidemiology 2 units

Health Policy Adm 206 International Health 2 units
Health Policy Ad 211 Benefit-Cost Analysis and Valuations in Health
Health Policy Studies 252 Advanced Health Economics 2 units

College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, UP Diliman

Anthropology 235 Seminar on Culture and Population 3 units

Anthropology 266 Seminar in Folk Traditions 3 units
Anthropology 282 Seminar on Culture and Personality 3 units
Anthropology 287 Sex and Culture 3 units
Anthropology 292 Anthropological Theory 3 units
Geography 226 Cultural Geography 3 units
Geography 228 Population Geography 3 units
Psychology 273 Research Methods in Development Psychology 3 units
Psychology 282 Theories in Social Psychology 3 units
Psychology 286 Seminar in Applied Social Psychology 3 units
Sociology 215 Medical Sociology 3 units
Sociology 216 Seminar in the Sociology of Aging 3 units
Demography 221 Population Growth and Economic Development 3 units
Demography 241 Emerging Issues in Population 3 units
 FACULTY ROSTER

Michael L. Tan, DVM, PhD

(PhD Anthropology, Medical Anthropology Unit, Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Dean, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (and Professor, Department
of Anthropology)
University of the Philippines Diliman
(Areas of specialization: Pharmaceutical Anthropology, Reproductive and
Sexual Health; Political Economy, Southeast and East Asian systems)
Coordinator, Medical Anthropology Program
Social Medicine Unit, College of Medicine
University of the Philippines Manila
Cecilia Acuin, MD, MA, PhD Nutrition (Candidate)
(MA Anthropology, University of Connecticut)
Department of Clinical Epidemiology
College of Medicine
University of the Philippines Manila
(Areas of specialization: Nutritional Anthropology; Maternal and Child Care)
Anita Hardon, PhD (Visiting Professor)
(PhD Research, Department of Cultural Anthropology and Non-Western Sociology,
Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Professor of Health and Social Care, Faculty of Social and Behavioral
Sciences (Sociology / Anthropology Department)
Universiteit van Amsterdam
(Areas of specialization: Tropical Hygiene, Science Dynamics and Medical
Anthropology)
Laufred I. Hernandez, MPM, MA
(MA Medical Anthropology, Universiteit van Amsterdam)
College of Arts and Sciences
University of the Philippines Manila
(Areas of specialization: Ethnopsychiatry; Men and Sexual Health)
Medical Anthropology Section, Social Medicine Unit
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila
Soledad M. Dalisay, PhD
(PhD Anthropology, University of the Philippines Diliman)
Department of Anthropology
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
University of the Philippines Diliman
(Areas of specialization: Nutritional anthropology, nursing and anthropology,
human ecology)
Medical Anthropology Section, Social Medicine Unit
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila
Felipe P. Jocano, Jr., MA
(MA Anthropology, University of the Philippines Diliman)
Department of Anthropology
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
University of the Philippines Diliman
(Area of Specialization: Ethnopsychiatry)
Medical Anthropology Section, Social Medicine Unit
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila
 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The program will comply with all existing curricular and administrative rules and guidelines
of the university. In addition, the following areas are further defined:

Entry Requirements

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science) or
a professional degree. Applicants with a previous graduate degree can have up to 6 units of
previous work credited by examination, upon consultation with and approval of the Program
Committee.

Transfer/Shifting

The program will comply with the university rules regarding transfer or shifting of graduate
students. Subject to the approval of the Program Committee, graduate courses of at most 6
units may be transferred for credit to Medical Anthropology program, provided that:

1) these courses were taken during the last five years prior to the student’s admission
to the Medical Anthropology program;
2) these units have not been credited to a degree previously obtained by the student;
and,
3) these courses are relevant to the Medical Anthropology program.

Mode of Teaching

Teaching takes place in formal lectures, seminars, tutorials, discussion groups, individual and
group assignments, on-line sessions, video conferences, and independent study. Audio-visual
materials such as ethnographic films will be used during classroom work. Students are
encouraged to share their own professional experience. The advantage of having the program
in UP Manila is that students will be able to observe health care in the settings of the
Philippine General Hospital and other adjunct service units, including communities.

Student Evaluation

Grades are assessed through oral and written examinations, or through submitted papers,
depending upon the specific coursework. Oral examinations may range from oral
presentations to OSCE-type (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) evaluations as
performed in the UP College of Medicine.

Graduation Requirements

The program shall comply with the university rules and regulations relevant to obtaining
graduate degrees. The additional specific requirements are as subsequently presented.

The Master of Medical Anthropology (MMA) program requires a total of 20 units,

satisfactory completion of a comprehensive examination, and a cumulative weighted average
grade (CWAG) of 2.0.

To obtain a Master of Science (MSc) in Medical Anthropology program, students must finish
a total of 33 units (inclusive of thesis) with a cumulative weighted average grade (CWAG) of
2.0.
Tuition Fees

Students will be charged P1,500 per academic unit for tuition fees. Such expense will be
exclusive of miscellaneous and other applicable fees.

Networking with other institutions

The program will interact and hold cooperative exchanges with other units and colleges of the
university, notably the College of Arts and Sciences and various health science colleges in UP
Manila (Public Health, Nursing, Pharmacy, Allied Medical professions, the three ladderized
medical programs of Tacloban, Aurora and Cotabato, all of which are under UP Manila) and
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy in UP Diliman.

We will also work closely with the Department of Health, particularly the Philippine Institute
for Alternative Medicine and the Department of Science and Technology, and with the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Likewise, efforts will be made to link the program with the activities of the Health Unit of the
Ateneo de Manila University’s graduate school and the Ateneo School of Medicine and
Public Health. Subsequently, such initiatives will be expanded to include other medical
schools with an interest in developing faculty for medical anthropology.

The Medical Anthropology section, currently with the Social Medicine Unit of the College of
Medicine, already has linkages with the Medical Anthropology Unit of Universiteit van
Amsterdam and the Southeast Asian Research Consortium on Gender, Sexuality and Health
(consisting of the University of the Philippines, Universitas Indonesia and Gadjah Mada
University in Indonesia, Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam, Mahidol University in
Thailand). These linkages can be used for exchange programs, including possible research
internships.