Robert McCall - Medical Anthropology MSc

UCL’s Medical Anthropology M.Sc. program is responsible for, without a doubt, one of the most fulfilling and energizing years of my life.

I first came across the program when looking to further my education after multiple years of professional experience, first as the administrative manager of a non-profit environmental organization in Ojai, California, and later as an ESL teacher in Seoul, Korea. This time spent abroad, in particular, helped foster pre-existing interests in culture and mind originating from my Anthropology B.A. work at UCLA. I ultimately narrowed down my search to a handful of anthropology master’s programs in the UK and the Netherlands, but UCL’s Medical Anthropology program stood out amongst the rest as the best fit, especially considering my ongoing interests in psychological anthropology and mental healthcare.

My decision to attend UCL opened new worlds for me intellectually and professionally. I am indebted not only to UCL Medical Anthropology’s inspiring faculty, but also to the rest of my 2014-2015 cohort – an extremely competent group hailing from all over the world whose brilliance motivated me to be better. The overall environment at UCL was stimulating and supportive, and I regularly looked forward to modules, seminars and other departmental get- togethers at and away from 14 Taviton St. This is to say nothing of the immense benefits of doing one’s master’s in London, a hub for world class scholarship (and not to mention an endlessly interesting place to live – a true “city of cities”).

Now an Anthropology Ph.D. student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, I have long since finished my M.Sc., but I still think fondly about the experience I had at UCL quite often. I owe a great deal of my personal development to the things I learned and the people I met through the Medical Anthropology M.Sc. program, and am happy to recommend it wholeheartedly to prospective students.