Do you take pleasure in talking to and assisting others who are having difficulties? Would you be interested in learning the background of what sets one individual apart from another? Do you think you can handle people when they’re at their worst while understanding their grief? This blog is a detailed guide on a career as a Psychiatrist, what a Psychiatrist does, different paths you can take to become a Psychiatrist, and different job opportunities.
Table of Contents
What does a Psychiatrist do?
The nature of the work of a psychiatrist is to evaluate, recognise, and treat emotional, behavioural, and mental illnesses. A range of physical and/or psychological tests can be ordered or carried out by psychiatrists because they are medical professionals. Psychiatrists can detect mental health issues thanks to these tests, which they can combine with discussions about symptoms, medical history, and family history.
Provide drugs to treat behavioural, mental, or emotional issues.
During office visits, counsel your patients.
Make case reports and submit them to governmental or mental health organisations.
Examine diagnostic tests performed on patients to provide details on their general physical or mental health.
Inform guardians or important people of the conditions and therapies being used on patients.
Job Roles
Pediatric Psychiatry: The focus of paediatric psychiatry is on the biological, psychological, and social aspects of behavioural, emotional, developmental, and mental health issues in children and adolescents.
Prison Psychiatrist: They provide mental health services for prisoners in local, state, and federal prisons as well as some local jails. There is a great demand because the United States has one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world and many prisoners enter the system with untreated mental health problems.
Behavioural Specialists: They are a kind of counsellor that support clients with developmental or behavioural issues. They might be employed by institutions of power, hospitals, or educational institutions. They might focus on the emotions and actions of either children or adults.
Neuropsychiatrist: A field of medicine known as neuropsychiatry, often known as organic psychiatry, examines the relationship between psychiatry and neurology in an effort to comprehend and assign behaviour to the combination of neurobiology and social psychological elements.
Staff Psychiatrist: In an outpatient and/or inpatient context, a Staff Psychiatrist offers psychiatric services for the treatment of patients with mental health disorders. Additionally, they are in charge of overseeing and instructing advanced psychiatric residents.
Forensic Psychiatrist: Inmates, patients in secure facilities, and members of the general public who have mental health issues are all treated by forensic psychiatrists. You will require a thorough understanding of the connections between mental health and the law because this is a highly specialised position.
Clinical Psychiatrist: Being medical professionals, psychiatrists typically work in healthcare facilities like hospitals, mental health clinics, or private practise. They are experts in the field of medicine, and all of their work is focused on mental health.
Career path for becoming a Psychiatrist
Path 1
Complete your 12th-grade science coursework with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
If you want to be admitted to a medical college, take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams.
after completing the five-year MBBS curriculum.
To guarantee a position in a medical college where you can study post-graduate education, submit an application to NEET-PG or AIIMS.
Decide on an MD in Psychiatrist.
Path 2
Complete your 12th-grade science coursework with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
If you want to be admitted to a medical college, take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams.
after completing the five-year MBBS curriculum.
To guarantee a position in a medical college where you can study post-graduate education, submit an application to NEET-PG or AIIMS.
Decide on a DNB in Psychiatrist.
Path 3
Complete your 12th-grade science coursework with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
If you want to be admitted to a medical college, take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams.
after completing the five-year MBBS curriculum.
To guarantee a position in a medical college where you can study post-graduate education, submit an application to NEET-PG or AIIMS.
Decide on a DM in Neuroradiology.
Think about a fellowship
You normally need to finish at least one year in a fellowship, though some are longer, in order to pursue a subspecialty. For instance, fellowships in child/adolescent psychiatry typically call for a two-year fellowship.
Salary of Psychiatrist in different stages of career
Profile
Salary
Prison Psychiatrist
$253337
Neuropsychiatrist
$56,879
Forensic Psychiatrist
$209,507
Behavioural Specialist
$42,029
Clinical Psychiatrist
$241,200
Skills required to be a Psychiatrist
Logical reasoning: These abilities can assist you in addressing a range of difficulties a patient may bring up during a session and figuring out the best course of action for treating their conditions.
Communication: Gaining proficiency frequently necessitates self-assurance and the capacity to pay close attention during interactions. This could involve both writing and verbal communication abilities, such as the capacity to evaluate a patient’s symptoms.
Stress management: It may be beneficial for a psychiatrist to come up with a variety of plans for dealing with unforeseen difficulties during therapy. They can employ treatment approaches to assist patients in processing their feelings.
Problem-solving: This can assist a patient in their efforts to recover from a mental health problem and enhance the quality of their daily lives. Psychiatrists can also identify the drugs that would be most helpful for various conditions by using their problem-solving abilities.
Empathy: This can entail being sensitive to their emotional needs and responding to a patient with compassion when a mental health issue requires a lot of time to resolve. A psychiatrist frequently has the ability to identify any problems a patient may be having in sessions and to pay close attention when they relate anecdotes about difficult situations in their lives.
Is Psychiatrist a Good Career Option?
With a degree in psychology, one can anticipate high work prospects. Because of the rising social stress and mental tension, the field of psychology is expanding. Within its subspecialties, psychiatry provides a variety of employment options. For students choosing to pursue psychiatry as a career today, there are numerous job prospects. The Psychiatrist might choose their area of sub-specialization and practice in accordance with their particular preferences. They can collaborate with government, private, and public clinics and hospitals.
Places to work as a Psychiatrists
Government
Public Clinics
Private Clinics
NGOs
Hospitals
Psychiatric Hospitals
Nursing homes
Polyclinics
Medical Schools
Research Facilities
Top Recruiters for Psychiatrists
Institute Of Human Behavior And Allied Sciences
Institute of Mental Health
Ranchi Institute Of Neuro-Psychiatry And Allied Sciences
You need to complete four years of coursework and one year of internship for the MBBS degree in order to become a doctor.
Postgraduate degree in India
The duration of the course mentioned is 3 years.
MD in Psychiatry
DNB in Psychiatry
P.G. Diploma in Psychological Medicine
DM in Neuroradiology
Degrees Abroad
Enrollment in the four-year MBBS programme. You will be needed to participate in a 6- to 8-year residency programme after a one-year internship. To begin working as a respectable doctor in the state, you must have a licence or board certification.
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I want to know More!
Books
Unhinged
The Body Keeps the Score
Becoming Myself
The Myth of Mental Illness
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
An Early Start for Your Child with Autism
The Bell Jar
An Unquiet Mind
Famous Personalities
Viktor Frankl
R. D. Laing
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Dr Vishal Chhabra
Dr Mrinmay Kumar Das
Dr Vipul Rastogi
Dr Manish Jain
A psychiatrist is a type of medical professional that specialises in diagnosing and treating people with mental health issues. To best satisfy patients’ emotional and mental health requirements, psychiatrists frequently collaborate with other medical specialists and general practitioners. We wish you luck if you decide to go on the path to becoming a psychiatrist.
FAQs
How do I become a Psychiatrist after 12?
You must first complete your secondary education, or Class 12, in the Science stream with Biology as one of the major topics. Then, you will have to pursue MBBS. After that, you will need to finish either an MD programme or a psychiatric medicine diploma (DPM).
Is MBBS necessary for Psychiatrist?
No, completing the MBBS exam is a requirement in order to be eligible for a PG seat in psychiatry. In other words, you cannot become a psychiatrist without an MBBS degree. You can, however, pursue a career as a psychologist. You must earn both your undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology for that.
Which is better Psychiatrist or psychologist?
It is recommended to speak with a psychologist if someone you care about is under a lot of stress and exhibiting symptoms of anxiety or depression. To calm their anxious minds, psychologists will guide them through sessions of mental treatment. The best course of action is to visit a psychiatrist when a person is dealing with a serious mental illness.
Is becoming a psychiatrist hard?
Acceptance into a highly selective medical school is much harder to achieve, making entering medical school the next step on the path to becoming a psychiatrist extremely challenging.
Is becoming a psychiatrist worth it?
Psychiatry is regarded as a top profession. Although becoming a psychiatrist requires a long career path, many people think the effort was well worth it. Psychiatrists are typically able to devote a significant amount of time to working directly with patients. Psychiatrists are also qualified to diagnose and treat patients.
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