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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Other - Careers & Employment |
What should one do to have a career as a psychiatrist? |
I am about to start my senior year of highschool. I really want to end up being a psychiatrist. I'm just really unsure as to what I need to do to get myself there. So, if anyone is a psychiatrist, please guide me! Thank you in advance! A psychiatrist is a medical doctor -- they diagnose and treat conditions of the mind (not necessarily the brain. . . but the mind -- the person -- emotional disorders). To be a psychiatrist, you'll have to finish high school, and go to college. You can study ANYTHING you want, but you'll HAVE to take 1 year of biology, 1 year of general chemistry, 1 year of organic chemistry, and 1 year of physics. . . while in College. ( a good major for a future psychiatrist would be psychology, sociology, or social work). After you get an undergraduate degree, you'll go to medical school for 4 years. The first two years focus mainly on basic sciences like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology . . . . The last two years are usually clerkships -- which is sort of like an intership -- you'll have some areas that are required, and some ares that are optional. After you graduate medical school, you'll have to do a residency -- depending upon rather you have an MD or a DO the residency will be 3-4 years. This is the special training where you become a psychiatrist. Another option, as opposed to psychiatry, would be psychology -- a psychologist usually has a doctorate (either a Ph.D. or a Psy.D.) which can take from 7 to 9 years (about the same as the psychiatrist). There are some differences -- as of right now, psychologists in most states can't prescribe medications, while psychiatrists can. Psychologists usually focus on research, testing / diagnosis, and non-medical treatments. . . whereas the psychiatrist most often just diagnoses and medicates . . . and then sends the patient on to a counselor (either a LPCC who has a degree in counseling or counseling psychology, or an LISW who has a degree in social work). Check it out -- there are a great number of options in the field of mental health. First you should verify taking up a career as a psychiatrist is something you want to do. Psychologists are licensed professionals who specialize in counseling, behavior therapy and talk sessions. Their work involves communication, working to adapt patient's perspectives on issues and helping them adjust to life's traumas. Psychologists are not medical doctors and are not able to prescribe medications for those who are mentally ill, this is the prime difference between psychiatrists and psychologists. Like psychologists, psychiatrists do talk with their patients however their primary objective lies in the science behind their client's mental issues: they address the physiological deficits, involving themselves in a game of finding what neurotransmitters are inactive, idle or too active. They specialize in mental illnesses and are medical doctors. They have to be knowledgeable of the prescriptions they are dispensing, talking and therapeutic methods of communication, as well as in depth knowledge of not only what the mental illness is but how it works- in detail- on the patient's brain. If a psychologist believes a client has a mental illness that needs medical attention, they will refer the client to a psychiatrist. If you want to become a psychiatrist you are guaranteed schooling for 4 years in college and more than likely 4 years outside of that for medical school. You should get a BS in psychology, biology, chemistry, biochemistry or pre-med. Once you have graduated from a university/college you will need to apply to medical school, and after medical school, will need to take additional years to be considered a specialist, yours being psychiatrist. If you like talking over issues and helping people with their problems through communication and other written exercises, psychologists can be certified for less than 6 years. You are able to recieve your BA and then attend a school for certification in your Psy. D, or, if you are after a more prestigious credential, can seek your Ph.D. Psychology offers you a variety of options: you can be a clinical psychologist, school psychologist or even an organizational-industrial pscyhologist- these professionals work for business companies helping employees adjust to the workforce through personality testing and psychometrics. Research psychologist or even a counseling psychologist, you have many options. Good luck and wishing you well in following your dreams! Undergrad Student, Psychology 101 |
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