Where They’re Headed: Julie Post ’22

The anthropology major and health studies minor is studying to become a certified nurse-midwife at Vanderbilt University.

Anthropology major and health studies minor Julie Post will begin her postgraduate journey in Nashville, studying to become a certified nurse-midwife. Vanderbilt University attracted Post because of the abundance of high-quality simulation lab equipment, while Nashville offered access to rural underserved clinics, “which is really important to me and my goal of bringing access to quality care to underserved populations,” explained the anthropology major.

Post, the first in her family to pursue a graduate degree, feels that two of her Haverford  anthropology classes in particular, Patty Kelly’s “Medical Anthropology” and Jacob Culbertson’s “Politics and Representations of Indigeneity,” strongly affirmed her interest in midwifery and obstetrics. “These classes helped to introduce me to knowledge systems outside of the Western hegemonic biomedical system that were equally brilliant and culturally valuable to different peoples, and to appreciate the importance of such knowledge systems alongside western biomedicine,” said Post.

Post will spend the first year at Vanderbilt preparing to take the registered nurse licensing test, and the second one studying both nursing and midwifery. 


“Where They’re Headed” is a blog series chronicling the post-collegiate plans of recent Haverford graduates.