What kind of Psychiatry am I looking for?
I want to be a psychiatrist. I love helping people with their problems, and look to take it to the next level. I would consider Psychologist, or a type of Psychologist, but honestly, I am on track to earn alot more money than the average psychologist. I want to find a type of Psychiatry where I can prescribe medicines, but also provide therapy to patients. I have heard that Psycho-Analysts and Psycho-Therapists are like this. Can anyone help me by providing more information in detail?
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January 30th, 2010 at 4:42 am
You’re in a sticky situation. Combining "money" with psychology is difficult… And I’ll explain.
Number one, if you are a psychiatrist, you’ll make money. It’s a well paying job, and depending on where you work, it could be a very well paying job. It’s an MD, really, so in the poorest of poor locations on earth, you’ll start at 80K, but in any big city you’ll get bumped up to the 120 range.
There are issues here, and things I don’t think you understand, so here we go.
#1). Psychiatrists today have one function and one function only, and that is to prescribe medication to treat mental illness. If you work in this field, your single goal will be to help people through chemicals. This EXCLUDES psycho-therapy and psycho-analysis. If a hospital, medical center, what ever, employs a psychiatrist, it won’t be to sit down and talk with people who need help and work them through their issues, it will be to identify what medications are needed, and then track the patients progress.
#2). On track to earn a lot more than the average Psychologist? Yea, that’s Psychiatry, but once again, you won’t be doing analysis or long-term therapy.
#3). What you are talking about is private practice in a major US city (LA, NY, Chicago..). There, you can treat rich folk, and help them with analysis and therapy. You can make a killing, if you’re good. Especially with the consumption of designer drugs by this demographic, you could be very, very wealthy. But then again, what problems do the ultra-rich have? And is it noble to focus on treating that demographic?
#4). Insurance companies: the psychology field is changing, with more and more emphasis on less and less. In psychology, you’ll be paid a fixed rate for a short period of time, and you’ll have almost no time to work with patients. Then, if the patient still needs help, YOU have to file paperwork with the insurance company, to get the company to continue paying for the therapy. It’s a miserable situation today, and really, only the rich can afford real, long-term psychological help. What this means, is that some psychologists who work long-term with patients, do it at a reduced rate, on their off time, or for free. Which kind of conflicts with your comments about earning a lot.
That’s where it stands, from my point of view. The other option is to get accepted to a major research facility, and do some amazing work and make a name for your self. It won’t pay at first, but over time, it will set up your future private-practice in a major US city.
Generally though, the art of helping is not done exclusively for-profit.