How to Become a Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are licensed medical professionals who diagnose and treat mental illness. Along with prescribing medication, they may use a variety of psychiatric techniques, including psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. A career in psychiatry entails four years of undergraduate school, four years of medical school and four years of residency training.

Step 1: Attend Undergraduate School

Training for a career in psychiatry begins in undergraduate school. While bachelor's degrees don't qualify graduates to practice psychiatry, they are typically required for admittance into medical school. Undergraduate students pursuing a career in psychiatry may consider majoring in psychology, but a specific major is not required. Premedical degrees should include courses in the natural sciences, such as physics, chemistry and biology, as well as English, math and the humanities.

Step 2: Earn a Medical Degree

Aspiring psychiatrists must complete the same medical school training as doctors, surgeons and other physicians. Medical degree programs typically take four years to complete. These programs are divided into two years of classroom and laboratory instruction and two years of supervised clinical experience. Courses may include pharmacology, anatomy, physiology and pathology. Students also learn to conduct medical exams and diagnose patients.

Step 3: Gain Residency Training

After medical school, psychiatrists must gain at least four years of postdoctoral training in residency programs. Residencies provide beginning psychiatrists with paid, clinical practice in hospitals. Along with 36 hours of required psychiatric training, residents may complete rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, neurology and emergency care. Some programs allow residents to train in another clinical specialty before transitioning into psychiatry.

Step 4: Become Licensed

To serve in the occupation, psychiatrists must become state-licensed physicians by passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Licensing requirements and maintenance procedures vary according to state, and some licensing boards may allow reciprocity between states. To prescribe medication, psychiatrists must also acquire a federal narcotics license and register with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Step 5: Consider a Subspecialty

After completing residencies, psychiatrists may choose to specialize in a particular field of psychiatry. They may become experts in subspecialties, such as geriatric psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and addiction psychiatry. Psychiatrists typically must complete one year of fellowship training in their subspecialties. They are then eligible to apply for subspecialty certification through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

A psychiatrist is a licensed medical doctor certified to treat emotional and mental disorders with the authority to prescribe medication. Several subspecialities of psychiatrists can include geriatric, industrial or occupational, adolescent, and forensic.

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Published by Divyanshu for whichprofession.blogspot.com