Medical Anthropology: Contemporary Topics

This course is part of the UBC Future Global Leaders On-Campus program for high school students ages 15–18.

Medicine is as much of an art as it is a science. Medical anthropology − the study of health, illness and healing from a cross-cultural perspective − draws on theories in anthropology to create better healthcare.  

Explore a range of contemporary topics in medical anthropology. Topics include medical regulation, genetics, cancer, addiction, medical ethics, mental health and the law. Come face-to-face with the humanity of medicine by studying the experience of illness. Understand the busy and complex intersection of health professionals, patients and families as they face Nature’s ultimate democracy: the equalizing force of illness and death.

Consider this course if you’re interested in studying medicine, health sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, psychology or dentistry.

Dr. DAN SMALL, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at UBC. For 20 years, Dan has been active in the fields of medical regulation, medical assessment, the forensic psychiatric system and community mental health.

Course Format

This course is held on the UBC Vancouver campus. You attend class in-person 9am–12pm, Monday through Friday. After lunch, you attend university preparation workshops and participate in group activities on campus from 1:30–3pm. 

You can also join the Virtual Student Lounge, hosted by our UBC Student Ambassadors. Meet other Future Global Leaders from across Canada and around the world.

To Register

After you add the course to your cart, you’re asked to complete your registration by creating a new account or logging in. If you are a parent, guardian or other adult registering for the first time on behalf of your student, please create the account in the name of the high school student attending UBC Future Global Leaders, not in your name.

To register, click “Open all” under Available Sessions, select the applicable Type under Fees / Tuition. You can pay a CAD$500 now or pay in full. Select “Scheduled Payment” if you wish to pay a CAD$500 deposit now and the balance later. We will automatically process the balance owing 30 days before the course start date for the Residence option and seven days before the course start date for the Commuter option. Do not select Scheduled Payment if you wish to pay in full now.

Click ADD TO CART. Once you have successfully added the items to your shopcart, click COMPLETE REGISTRATION to be directed to our online payment portal.

Available Sessions

Course currently not available for registration.