| There are quite a few steps to achieve the goal of | | | | and then choose a specialization which is the norm. |
| becoming a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are different than | | | | Then you will work as a resident and take your |
| psychologists as psychiatrists have a medical degree | | | | medical licensing examination at this time. It is beneficial |
| and they can prescribe medicines, while the | | | | to continue your training to receive board certification in |
| psychologist does not have a medical degree and can | | | | a specialty. |
| only counsel and advise without prescribing any | | | | It is very important here to point out that you should |
| medications. | | | | choose a specialty in which you are interested and are |
| Psychiatry is a vast field of science which covers | | | | passionate about, as what you do is going to deeply |
| several different branches of medicine like | | | | affect your patient's life. Your career will be full of |
| psychotherapy and child psychiatry, forensic and | | | | challenges and interesting cases as each person is |
| pharmacological psychiatry.To start off, it helps if you | | | | different and will have a variety of problems. |
| are younger and have made the decision to go in the | | | | Some psychiatrists do get bogged down sometimes |
| field of psychology. It is essential to take lots of | | | | because of their involvement in their patients lives, they |
| science classes in high school including physics, | | | | take such deep interest that occasionally the doctors |
| chemistry and biology as this will help you prepare for | | | | themselves feel sad and depressed. So it is very |
| a college premedical program. Then check out the | | | | important to be professional yet passionate about your |
| medical schools you want to get into and ask for their | | | | patients and their concerns, but not to entangle your |
| requirements, this will give you a clear idea of what | | | | lives with theirs. |
| needs to be done. A good grade point average will | | | | Psychiatry is a noble profession as psychiatrist help |
| benefit you greatly as the competition for medical | | | | out people with mental health problems, they cure |
| school is intense. Then take the Medical Admission | | | | conditions which are usually are not physical and are |
| Test at the end of your junior year in college and ask | | | | hard to see. While a physical condition affects your |
| an elder or a medical students for help with the | | | | body, a mental condition affects your thinking, your |
| applications, as this can get confusing and | | | | perception, your attitude and more, so it is extremely |
| overwhelming. | | | | important to have doctors who can cure mental |
| You will have to complete four years of medical | | | | problems. A big bonus for psychiatrists is that they are |
| school, pass your medical boards, to become a | | | | paid well after the initial three to four years of starting. |
| Medical Doctor and get a M.D. degree. You will need | | | | So if this profession sounds right to you, by all means |
| to complete four years of residency like most doctors | | | | go get it. |