Career Advice on How to Become a PsychiatristGeneral Career Information |
|
How does the idea of spending years and years in school (and sifting your way through a rigorous medical program) for the pleasure of hearing people complain about their problems sound to you? If you answered, “That sounds awesome,” then an exciting career in the field of psychiatry could be what you seek. If you like the idea of prescribing drugs all day long, then you might want to add this career to your career planning and job search.
Psychiatrists are usually the ones called in when people are having mental issues and problems. A good percent of the cases that psychiatrist are involved in are related, at least on the surface, to depression and depression related conditions. If you doubt this, just ponder the vast array of anti-depressants currently on the market. There are so many people on anti-depressants that these drugs are beginning to show up in our water supply! No wonder you feel better, right?
|
Career Facts: |
|
The field of psychiatry is much like the human brain itself in that it is complex and divided into numerous subspecialties. These subspecialties range from child and adolescent psychiatry and learning disability psychiatry to adult psychiatry and behavioral medicine to name just a few. Thus, those interested in this career path must also decide on what subspecialty is of most interest. Obviously, this can be a bit tricky due to the variety of choices possible and the long-term career impact of the selection. |
Career Opportunities and Job Outlook-Good: |
|
Let’s face it; modern society isn’t becoming any less depressing. The overall job growth rate for physicians and surgeons is expected to be about fourteen percent. Yea! More people will become sad and miserable in the coming years. That will end up being your bread and butter.
|
 |
A Day in The Life: |
|
A day in the life of a psychiatrist means spending a lot of time in their office saying, “How does that make you feel?” and “I see.” This is often followed by “I will see you next week,” or “This issue could take years to work out.” Of course, there is also the ever-popular statement: “I will prescribe some medicine for that.” The “that” in the “for that” statement is actually someone’s thoughts. Yes, psychiatry is unique in the field of medicine in that it medicates thoughts, in a manner of speaking.
The kinds of patients one is likely to see working as a psychiatrist will range from people who seriously need help, to those who just need to get something off their chest. Either way, prescription drugs are likely to make an appearance at some point in the process.
|
Average Salary: |
|
Psychiatrists are most definitely a specialty, as they comprise about five percent of all medical doctors. By now you are probably wondering what listening to people’s problems all day pays, the answer is pretty well. The average psychiatrist earns about $175,000. Not bad if you can handle all the depression and horror stories.
|
$150k - $175k |
Career Training and Qualifications: |
|
That’s right. As you might have guessed, psychiatrists are medical school graduates. That means years of medical school in your future if this is a career path you are interested in pursuing.
|
