Medical Anthropology Internships: A Comprehensive Guide

Medical anthropology internships offer invaluable opportunities to gain hands-on experience, explore career paths, and apply anthropological knowledge in real-world settings. These internships can be a rewarding experience, providing opportunities to engage in “hands-on” learning and extend your anthropological knowledge. This article explores various aspects of medical anthropology internships, including finding opportunities, academic credit, research, and the benefits they offer.

The Value of Medical Anthropology Internships

An internship with an anthropological component can be a rich and challenging opportunity for you to engage in “hands-on” learning in anthropology, allowing you to apply and extend your anthropological knowledge.

Internships offer invaluable opportunities to gain experience in your chosen field. Particularly when such an internship is in an agency with a demonstrable anthropological objective, e.g. the Smithsonian Institution, it may have direct bearing on a future career in practicing or academic anthropology. Internships in an agency without specific objectives in anthropology may also be potentially valuable in learning more about “practicing anthropology” - indeed, it may help you to think originally about how you might practice anthropology in a future career.

Anthropology internships abroad offer hands-on experience in diverse cultural settings, helping you develop cross-cultural communication and field research skills. You’ll gain exposure to different research methodologies, work with local communities, and build a global professional network. These experiences enhance your resume and prepare you for careers in academia, NGOs, and cultural organizations.

Career Prospects

Anthropology majors have open to them all of the career options of any student with a bachelor of arts degree in the liberal arts and social sciences, with the added advantage that they surely are more prepared than most in the growing international arena of business, government, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Finding the Right Internship

Finding an internship and faculty supervisor early - before or during preregistration is important. If you wait longer than this, your chances of getting either are greatly diminished.

Resources for Finding Internships

If you need assistance finding an internship, you may begin by consulting the resources that are available through University Career Services. Information on more than 2,000 internships in this country and abroad, including over 250 internships in the Triangle area, is available on the Internship Finder database in the UCS Library and through the UCS homepage.

Handshake is Ohio State's new university-wide position posting system where students have access to search and apply for part-time jobs, internships, co-ops, and full-time career opportunities.

Search the online AnthroGuide for institutions that offer internships to aspiring anthropologists.

Internship Opportunities Worldwide

Anthropology internships are available worldwide, especially in culturally rich regions. Mexico, Peru, and Greece offer archaeology-focused placements, while India, Kenya, and Indonesia provide ethnographic research opportunities. In Europe, the UK, Germany, and France host museum and academic internships, while Australia and New Zealand offer projects in Indigenous studies.

Whether you’re a student, recent graduate, or experienced professional, programs span dozens of fields including business, finance, medicine, public health, journalism, marketing, human rights, law, sustainability, education, and more.

Featured Internship Providers

Several organizations offer structured internship programs:

Intern Abroad HQ: Provides top-rated programs with tailored placements and professional development tools.
AIFS Abroad: Offers internships in various fields with opportunities for academic credit.
CIEE: Features summer and semester global internships with full-time working hours and seminars.
Kaya Responsible Travel: Provides remote internships with community partners in various countries.
BUNAC: Specializes in UK internships with visa sponsorship.
Projects Abroad: Offers immersive experiences in Peru, focusing on personalized projects with local communities.
International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): Provides placements in New Zealand, focusing on animal care and veterinary assistance.
IES Abroad: Focuses on study abroad programs with a strong emphasis on cultural immersion.

Remote Internship Opportunities

The AIP remote internship program incorporates all the features needed for professional development and growth so that you can increase the chances of your employability through a professional internship experience, from anywhere in the world.

Remote anthropology internships present challenges like limited hands-on fieldwork and time zone differences when collaborating with teams abroad. However, they offer flexibility, access to global research projects, and opportunities to develop digital ethnography skills.

Securing Academic Credit for Internships

Variable credit may be obtained for this course, although usually you register for 3 credit hours. You are normally limited to a maximum of 3 hours of academic credit for an Anthropology 393 Internship.

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You may not receive credit for any Anthropology 393 Internship unless you obtain approval for it before you begin the internship.

Steps to Obtain Academic Credit

Find an Internship: Before or during preregistration, find an internship and make tentative arrangements with that agency for you to work there the following semester or summer.
Find a Faculty Supervisor: You need an anthropology faculty supervisor for your internship. Set up an appointment with you.
Requirements: Before or during preregistration, obtain and carefully read a copy of the Requirements for the Anthropology 393 Internship. If you have questions or need assistance, see the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr.
Prior Approval of Internships Required

Faculty Supervision

Your faculty supervisor must be a member of the Department of Anthropology. You are responsible for finding a faculty supervisor who will work with you. (If you are at a complete loss, the Director of Graduate Studies may be able to help.) Even if you find an internship, you are not guaranteed a faculty sponsor.

You must secure approval in writing of an individual faculty member with whom you wish to study, an official of the organization with which you hope to serve, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies prior to the beginning of your internship.

Internship Contract

The internship contract sets out the Anthropology 393 requirements and the particular tasks and goals for your internship as determined by you, the agency and your faculty supervisor. You, your agency supervisor and your faculty supervisor must all sign the contract. You must then return the contract to the Director of Undergraduate Studies who approves and files it. You must provide copies of the Contract to your faculty advisor and your agency supervisor.

Meeting with Faculty Supervisor

You are required to meet periodically with your faculty supervisor to discuss the research or project paper, your progress in the internship, and any internship-related problems. The number of meetings, times and dates are to be determined by your faculty supervisor.

Summer Internships

A summer internship will be considered for approval only if you have obtained a faculty supervisor, completed arrangements with the agency, and turned in the internship contract before your internship starts. A student may complete a summer internship for summer session credit only if the student secures a faculty sponsor who will be available to the student during that session.

Internship Hours Requirement

As an intern, you must work a minimum of 8 hours per week at the internship placement, for a total minimum of 100 hours per semester. This is the minimum number of hours. If you miss hours one week, you are expected to make up these hours. These required hours are roughly equivalent to the number of hours you would spend in class and preparing for class during an ordinary course over a semester.

Key Components of a Medical Anthropology Internship

Irrespective of the agency for whom you are planning to do an internship, it is up to you to define the “anthropological component” of the internship to the satisfaction of the Department faculty member sponsoring your internship and of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

By its very nature, an internship involves a three-part arrangement between you as a student, a faculty member with whom you will study for academic credit, and some outside organization for which you agree to work for several hours per week to further the goals of that organization. As such an internship arrangement must be both flexible and academically rigorous.

Journal Requirement

You are required to keep an internship journal containing daily entries. These entries should set out your activities at the internship that day; your impressions and perceptions of those activities; reflections on how that day’s work relates to your service and learning objectives; and outline action that you plan to take at the agency in the future based on what you learned that day.

Research or Project Paper

A high-quality research paper or equivalent research task on a topic related to the internship is generally expected of you as an intern.

Ethical Considerations

University policy requires that research involving human subjects show due regard for the protection of their individual privacy and welfare. When the learning component of your internship entails research that might potentially infringe upon the privacy, the rights, or the welfare of its participants (be they agency clients or staff), you are required to file an Internal Processing Form with the Department for review and submission to the Academic Affairs Institutional Review Board.

Evaluation

The Director of Undergraduate Studies will provide you with an evaluation sheet to give your agency supervisor. Your faculty supervisor is responsible for providing the grade to the student and to the Department at the end of the semester. The faculty supervisor determines what weight will be given to the student and agency evaluations, the journal and the paper. These criteria and their relative importance are to be made explicit to the student at the beginning of the internship.

Tasks and Responsibilities of Medical Anthropology Interns

Anthropology interns assist with fieldwork, conduct ethnographic research, analyze cultural data, and support community engagement projects. They may work in museums, research institutions, or nonprofit organizations, helping with documentation, interviews, and archival research. Depending on the focus area, interns can also contribute to policy development, cultural preservation, or public education initiatives.

Although some routine administrative tasks are required of any professional employee, we expect that the majority of your work as an intern work will be directed towards the substantive mission of the agency and that the tasks will be of a quality and nature that will justify the award of academic credit to you. In an agency that serves clients, for example, you as an intern must have recurrent contacts with the client population whose problems the agency is addressing.

Financial Considerations

Paid anthropology internships are less common than unpaid ones, especially in academic or nonprofit settings. However, some research institutions, NGOs, and government agencies offer stipends or funding for fieldwork. Competitive grants and scholarships can also help cover costs. Opportunities in corporate anthropology, UX research, and heritage consulting are more likely to offer financial compensation.

Study abroad programs are often affordable even to students who require financial aid.

Study Abroad

As an anthropology major, we encourage you to consider enrolling in a study abroad program. These programs can offer direct experience of another culture, intensive language training, as well as excellent coursework in anthropology.

By consulting with your departmental advisors as well as with UNC’s Study Abroad Office, you can assess the relevance of available programs to your interests and degree requirements. As part of your planning, you should talk to your advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies to arrange beforehand for transfer credit hours to count toward your anthropology major.

For information about study abroad programs, call the Study Abroad Office (919) 962-7002. Students may also wish to consult the Summer School about its own study abroad program. Study abroad is a fantastic learning opportunity and we encourage medical anthropology students to travel and learn globally! Contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Anthropology and/or Professor Rivkin-Fish before you decide on a program to ensure that the courses offered may be counted towards your Medical Anthropology Major/Minor.

Honors Thesis

Writing an honors thesis is an excellent way to cap one’s major in Anthropology. The process offers students the chance to carry out original research on a topic they are passionate about. Our thesis writers work closely with a faculty advisor and committee members to develop their project. The department provides excellent support, offering a specific seminar during the fall (ANTH 691H) and a corresponding independent study (ANTH 692), that together walk students through the essential steps of research design and writing.

Honors in Anthropology requires that you register for and pass Anthropology 691H and 692H. For graduation in the spring semester, students must enroll first in ANTH 691H and then in 692H during the spring semester in which they plan to graduate. Students graduating in the fall must enroll in 692H first in the spring and then take 692H in the same fall semester in which they intend to graduate. Making sure that you are enrolled in the course by the appropriate fall or spring add deadline set by the Registrar’s Office is imperative as late enrollment is approved only under specific extenuating circumstances.

ANTH 691H and ANTH 692H are controlled-enrollment seminar courses and only students holding a 3.3 GPA are permitted to enroll in them (it is also important to keep in mind that you must also maintain a 3.3 GPA throughout your senior year to stay in the honors program). Please note that students must complete a study contract with his/her thesis advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies prior to enrolling in ANTH 691H and 692H. This contract will take time to prepare and should be started during early registration for the semester the student plans to enroll in ANTH 691H or 692H. Also note that enrollment in ANTH 691H or 692H must be completed no later than the first week of classes of that semester.

Research Tracks

Original Research Track: Students will collect original anthropological data that will serve as the basis of their thesis.
Literature Review or Secondary Data Based Research Track: Students will base their thesis on data that is already available.

Steps to Complete the Honors Thesis

Eligible students next should secure an advisor prior to enrolling in ANTH 691H for the fall semester of their senior year.
In the spring, students complete an independent study, ANTH 692H, with their advisor, focusing on writing the thesis.
To complete the process, students ‘defend’ (i.e.

Thesis Defense

“Defense” (or the milder, “oral exam”) is a bit of a misnomer. By the time you and your faculty advisor have spent a year with your project, with at least one round of critique and revision with your committee, your formal defense of your thesis project probably will be a bit more refined than the military connotations of the term ‘defense.’ Seated before your faculty advisor and two committee faculty, you most likely will be asked to begin your presentation by giving a succinct summary of your problem, research methods, and findings. Faculty then might seek some insight into the background of your project. They may have questions about your execution of the research (why you chose a particular approach or methodology over another, for instance). They may have stylistic issues concerning the manner in which you chose to write your thesis. They may want to explore what you might choose to do next with the subject, had you time and research funding to pursue it further.

Independent Study

A student who wishes to pursue an independent study should write a research proposal and contact a faculty member who teaches in the research area of interest to supervise the project. After identifying a faculty supervisor, the student must complete an Independent Study Learning Contract through the Online Learning Contract Manager (OLCM) and a research proposal outlining the specific details of the semester-long project.

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