What does it take to become a psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a physician (a medical doctor – MD or a doctor of osteopathic medicine – DO) who is trained in medical, psychological, and sociological aspects of behavioral, emotional, and mental health.
The requirements for becoming a psychiatrist vary from country to country. But, regardless where one lives, means at least 12 years of education beyond high school – four (4) years in college, four (4) years in medical school and four (4) to five (5) years in a psychiatry residency program.
Most colleges and universities do not offer pre-medical or “pre-med” programs. Students select a major in a field that is related to medicine such as biology and then supplement their education with extracurricular activities that demonstrate their commitment to medicine. For a student interested in psychiatry, this may be volunteering at a crisis center or working part time in a mental health clinic.
In the United States and Canada, students must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in their junior year of college. This is a computer-based standardized test that measures the student’s science knowledge and evaluates her or his analytical, problem solving, critical thinking, and writing skills.
The test is given by the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), which also manages the medical school application process for many medical schools. The application process is different for each medical school. Many medical schools have a multiple stage process that may include essays and in-person interviews.
After college graduation, students must attend four (4) years of medical school to earn their MD or DO degree. In the United States, a student must attend a school certified by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC). This is the organization that monitors medical schools to ensure that they meet certain standards.
After graduating from medical school, the soon-to-be psychiatrist must complete a four (4) year clinical residency including three (3) years in psychiatry in the United States and. In Canada, the residency requirement is five (5) years.
During residency, students learn the concepts of psychiatry and use those concepts to develop their clinical skills in diagnosing mental disorders, psychopharmacology (the psychological effect of drugs); health care issues that affect mental health and behavior, and psychotherapy. In some instances, a psychiatry resident must complete at least four (4) months of study and work in internal medicine or pediatrics and two (2) months in neurology.
All psychiatry residents in the United States and many in Canada must take the Psychiatry Resident-in-Training Examination (PRITE) three (3) or four (4) times during their residency. Those planning to specialize in child psychiatry take the CHILD PRITE. These tests are used to measure the resident’s progress through the training program.
In addition to all this education, psychiatrists must comply with the licensing requirements of the area where they intend to work. Requirements are different in each state, but typically require an application, verification of education in the form of official transcripts, official examination scores from the testing organization, a certified copy of the medical degree, fingerprint cards and a license fee. The licensing process can take six (6) to nine (9) months to complete.
If a psychiatrist graduated from a medical school in another country and wants to work in the United States, he or she must take and pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) administered by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. This is a two-part test that evaluates the psychiatrist’s clinical knowledge. In addition, he or she may be required to complete an additional year psychiatry residency in the United States.
Psychiatrists may continue their education with post-graduate fellowships if they want focus on a sub-specialty of psychiatry, such as forensic psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, or pain management. Each program has a unique set of requirements.
Finally, psychiatrists may elect to take the test for board certification given the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). This test has both written and oral sections and those who pass the test are considered to have the highest level of expertise in psychiatry.
Psychiatrists are M.D’s, so it takes college (with courses/credits that are aimed at getting into medical school), and it takes finishing medical school, specializing in psychiatry. A psychologist has a PhD in some area of psychology. There are also careers, such as “psychiatric social worker”, for which a person gets a Master’s Degree in some area of social work after getting a Bachelor’s (and having the appropriate major). In some states any person can “hang a shingle” and call him/herself a “family therapist”, but people who would seek counseling are usually looking for all the credentials of someone with the advanced degrees. Licensing requirements for a person to be able to call him/herself, “psychiatrist” or “psychologist” are not confined to state regulations. Calling oneself a “therapist” (of one sort or another) may be. A degree in psychology may be helpful in getting some jobs. although often a Bachelor’s in psychology isn’t as useful if it isn’t accompanied by at least a Mas
