Emmanuel Martinez Alcaraz, MD, MA '13

An interview with Emmanuel

What was your hometown when you came to TCNJ?

Holmdel, NJ

Where do you currently call your hometown?

New Haven, CT

When you were studying here, where did you picture yourself after graduation?

Physician, anthropologist.

What was your first job after graduating?

medical and graduate school

How do you use your Anthropology degree in your current career and other activities?

My anthropology and sociology studies have significantly helped me process and adapt my personal experiences as a Mexican emigrant. In my work as a family physician in a community health center, this background helps me build deep, empathetic relationships with my patients to provide more equitable medical care.

What is your favorite "major memory" from your time as a Anthropology student?

Advocating to congress members for immigration reform, using the theory I learned and my ethnographic field experience with the communities directly impacted by federal policies.

What is some advice you would give to your undergraduate self?

Do not be shy, participate in class, voice your opinions. Spend more time in office hours with the kind and passionate professors at TCNJ.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The faculty and staff at TCNJ helped me become a passionate lifelong learner and helped me earn the tools needed to advocate for the social issues that I am passionate about.