In the future I am interested in studying medical and biological anthropology. I plan to focus my work on medicine found in the ocean that can positively affect an individual’s health. I would like to analyze different cultures located in the Caribbean or near other tropical waters to determine which medicines they take from sea life and how those medicines affect the body and well-being of a human. As humans, we have only explored a small portion of the ocean. I would like to discover new forms of medicine that can be found in the thousands of species of sea life. This research in turn has the potential to improve human health in a way that will allow the oceanic ecosystem to remain flourishing in the living creatures that are studied. To get through this main point of study however, I need to gain knowledge on the biology of humans as well as sea life that can be used and for what parts of the anatomy. While my objective is to study in the biological/medicinal anthropological field, I will also incorporate the cultural aspect to study other cultures.
 
One group of individuals who have influenced me to pursue research are the speakers that talk
at the anthropology club meetings that I have regularly attended. They are typically people
who show great interest in certain aspects of other cultures. I have also excelled in the
projects for my different anthropology classes such as a paper and power point presentation I
completed with the topic of “Witchcraft in Cameroon Africa”.
 
Before graduation I plan on taking anthropology courses that allow me to experience fieldwork
on Weedon Island. I look forward to those classes because they will give me hands on
experience at an educational level to help me understand what is necessary when studying
objects, or civilizations.
 
The University of Pittsburg would enable me to gain the useful knowledge needed for the
studies I wish to pursue. This school has a medical anthropology program that includes
courses that deal with topics such as international health, medical ethics, the anthropology
of food, ecology and human nutrition and basic medical anthropology classes. These, as well
as a series of others are definitely necessary for me to excel in. Some professors who could
further my understanding of the medical aspects of anthropology are the faculty members, Mark
Mooney, Michael Siegel and Joseph Alter. Mark Mooney’s expertise in the physiological
adaptations to extreme environments and comparative anatomy seems useful when
understanding how different cultures physically adapt to their environments. Michael
Siegal’s overall knowledge of biology and anatomy are necessary when understanding the
responses to different substances. Joseph Alter studies of the relationship between health, culture and politics seems interesting when comprehending the socioeconomic factor of the affects of obtaining oceanic medicines for profit. I feel that I could gain useful experience and information from these anthropologists.
 
After obtaining my graduate degree, I plan to carry out studies that can lead me to my
eventual goal of analyzing the relationship of oceanic medicine and other cultures as well as
my own. By using my knowledge gained from the University of Pittsburg I plan to carry out
research such as the environmental impact of humans using natural medicines, as well as other
environmental studies. I also want to travel to another part of the world in to study the
effects of natural medicines on different cultures.