Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors (M.D.s) who specialize in treating mental illness. Medical school typically includes coursework and a clinical rotation in psychiatry, but to become a practicing psychiatrist, doctors must complete a residency and/or fellowship program and pass a licensure exam.
10 Medical Schools with Psychiatry Residency and/or Fellowship Programs
These schools offer psychiatry residency and fellowship programs:
| College/University | Location | Institution Type | Programs Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Boston, MA | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency, Fellowship |
| University of California- Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 4-year, Public | Residency, Fellowship |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency, Fellowship |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency, Fellowship |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency, Fellowship |
| University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | 4-year, Public | Residency, Fellowship |
| University of California- San Diego | San Diego, CA | 4-year, Public | Residency, Fellowship |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency, Fellowship |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | 4-year, Public | Residency, Fellowship |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency, Fellowship |
College for Psychiatry: Selection Criteria
Here are some considerations for students who are considering psychiatry residency programs:
- Prospective residents should find a program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
- It can be helpful to find out what the pass rate is for graduates on the American Board of Psychology and Neurology Board Exam for licensure.
- Some schools offer general residency programs, while others allow students to specialize in either adult or child and adolescent psychology. Prospective students can choose between these options based on their academic interests and career goals.
- Prospective residents who want a career in a more highly specialized area of psychiatry, such as addiction psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, or psychosomatic medicine may want to find out what the fellowship placement rate is for graduates of the school.
Psychiatry Residency Programs
After finishing medical school, aspiring psychiatrists must complete a residency program. A psychiatry residency is a requirement to earn state licensure and board certification - as well as a paid medical position. Residencies allow trained doctors to specialize their expertise through clinical training in child and adolescent psychiatry, adult psychiatry or general psychiatry. Residencies last approximately 3-4 years and cover a variety of topics, such as inpatient and outpatient care, clinical practices and research methods.
Psychiatry Fellowship Programs
After completing a residency, psychiatrists who want to further focus their training may complete a fellowship program. Areas of emphasis include addiction psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, global mental health, psychosomatic medicine and public psychiatry. These programs typically take 1-2 years to complete. Some emphasize clinical practice, while others focus on psychiatry research. Like residents, psychiatry fellows receive a stipend for their work.
Trained doctors can get the education they need to become psychiatrists by completing residency and fellowship programs. Prospective residents should look for accredited programs that offer training that is consistent with their future career goals.
Psychiatrist Salary and Career Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), psychiatrists earned an average annual salary of $220,380 in May 2018. The highest paying employers of psychiatrists were home health care services and local government, both of which paid average annual salaries of over $250,000. Job growth for all physicians and surgeons, including psychiatrists, was expected to be 13%, faster than average for all occupations, from 2016-2026. The industries employing the highest number of psychiatrists in 2018 were physicians' offices and psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals.
