I graduated with a degree in Anthropology, with a focus on cultural Anthro. There are two types of Anthro most commonly offered at school-- Biological and Cultural. The amount of reading & writing required various for each. In cultural anthro, there is a lot of reading, analysis and writing. Reading is mostly of papers, and small books (not textbooks). You learn about the many differences that exsist between cultures including differences in customs, ways of thinking & speaking, health & medicine, relationships & sexuality, families, food, games, you name it. In higher level anthropology classes there is a more theoretical concentration on research methods, congnitive function, rational, etc. Cultural anthropology transects many social science disciplines such as sociology, pyschology, philosophy, and linguistics.
Biological Anthropology and Archeology are closely related anthropology sub-disciplines. They focus on evolution and the historical aspects of human culture. Biological anthropology also seeks to explain human behavior in terms of biology and evolution. Archeology is more about excavating, analyzing and interpreting artifacts and geotechnical information/data. Bio Anthro and Archeo are more scientific than cultural. Thus, they require less writing, and your reading is more textbook based.
This is just some general info. I love anthro, and decided on it as a major because I felt that being a good physician requires a through understanding of the cultures of those you serve and the factors which influence their lives/medical decisions. Read 'The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down' to gets an idea of what I mean about the importance of cross-cultural communication & understanding in medicine.
