Psychiatry
- Emma S
- Dec 28, 2022
- 2 min read
What is psychiatry?
By definition, psychiatry is the study involving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and more.
Average Residency:
The average length of residency for a psychiatrist is 4 years.
Average Salary:
The average salary for a psychiatrist is $218,000. This varies depending on things like experience and subspecialty.
Subspecialties:
Child psychiatrist: A child psychiatrist specializes in disorders that appear in children or adolescents. This may include ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and more.
Forensic psychiatrist: A forensic psychiatrist deals with relationships between psychiatry and civil law. A forensic psychiatrist might evaluate and provide treatment for those who need it in prison or forensic psychiatry hospitals.
Sleep Medicine: A sleep specialist focuses on sleep studies and sleep related conditions, such as insomnia, narcolepsy, and other sleep disorders.
Geriatric psychiatrist: A geriatric psychiatrist specializes in treatment and diagnosis of mental disorders in elderly.
Addiction psychiatrist: An addiction psychiatrist deals with treatment of individuals involving drugs, alcohol or other addiction.
Psychosomatic Medicine: Psychosomatic medicine involves the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders with medical conditions. These specialists provide consultation services in hospitals.
Steps to Becoming a Psychiatrist:
Starting in high school, students who are interested in pursuing a psychiatrist career should take as many science classes as possible and explore extracurricular activities that focus on psychiatry. Some examples include signing up to become a peer counselor or volunteering at a local rehabilitation center or hospital. After high school, the next step is to go to college, graduating with a bachelor's degree in any field, however a STEM field is recommended. Next, scoring a high score on the MCAT test is important to becoming a psychiatrist. Following this, students accepted into medical school, have two different tracks they can take. The first is leading to a doctor of medicine (M.D.) degree, and the other is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. M.D.’s typically focus on treating specific conditions, while D.O. might focus on whole body healing. After this comes a residency where you will usually work in a hospital or clinic to gain experience. Lastly, is a fellowship, where you will work supervised by a licensed doctor. Also, psychiatrists must be certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) to practice legally. This certification typically has to be renewed every ten years.
What you can do as a Psychiatrist:
There are multiple places where a psychiatrist can work. This includes general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, private practices, medical centers, and more. Different subspecialties might practice in different places. For example, a forensic psychiatrist might work in a court or prison, while a geriatric psychiatrist might work in an assisted living center.
Things to Consider:
There are a few things to consider when deciding if you want to pursue a career as a psychiatrist. First, a psychiatrist works and interacts with lots of people, meaning communication skills are important. Some other qualities that make a good psychiatrist are good listening skills and empathy. Another thing to keep in mind is that you have to be ready for years of studying and hard-work.
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