How to get into Psychiatry?
I am going into sophomore year in high school. I want to go into psychiatry, what should be my focus in highschool/ college (what should I major in in college?) I find math and science challenging, I am better at english and history, however I really want to be either a psycologist or a psychiatrist and go to medical school. What is the difference in the work of a psycologist and the work of a psychiatrist and what are the education requirements? Thanks for your help.
Posted in psychiatry jobs
content rss
August 12th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
You need to be an MD and have a graduate degree in psychology/psychiatry.
You don’t need much math or science. Statistics, yes.
Go here, and you’ll find a lot of answers:
http://www.apa.org/topics/psychologycareer.html
The difference: Psychiatrists primarily prescribe medications–reason for the MD qualification. They do, usually, little counseling. Psychologists, these days, can sometimes prescribe limited medications but mainly counsel, talk, work with clients.
If I were starting out (and I’m not; I’m retired) and wanted to enter one of these fields, my preference would be for psychology, because it is much more flexible, not confined primarily to prescribing drugs. I could work more with people. But that’s my own preference.
To do well in psychology–good job opportunities, pay–get a PhD in psychology–takes 8 years, more or less, and a license-has requirements, like passing a test (similar to a lawyer passing the bar).
Psychology as a field of study and work has blossomed in recent decades, with the modes of therapy becoming more and more effective. To me, it’s fascinating.
August 12th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
A psychiatrist is a physician who treats mental disorders. You have to go to med school for that. A psychologist is a social scientist and has many more options than a psychiatrist does. You have to get a PhD to be a psychologist