What Is a Psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who focuses on the treatment of mental illnesses. They are distinct from psychologists, as psychiatrists are fully trained doctors, with the ability to write prescriptions and provide diagnoses. Working as a psychiatrist often involves the rigorous application of therapy techniques, prescribing medicines to alleviate symptoms, and extensive discussion with patients to help them learn to overcome their condition. How much school to be a psychiatrist is required? Psychiatrist schooling time varies, but tends to take at least eight and up to twelve years.
Psychiatrists tend to meet with patients individually in a clinical setting in order to speak about any problems they have been having. You may be wondering, is it hard to become a psychiatrist? Not only are the educational requirements intense, the job itself can be emotionally demanding as it requires working with individuals on some of the most challenging aspects of their lives. Psychiatrists are responsible for evaluating patient conditions and creating treatment plans that can include medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and more. The mean annual salary for psychiatrists was $220,430 as of May, 2019, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read on to learn more about how many years of college to be a psychiatrist and more important information you will need to pursue this career.
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How Long Does it Take to Become a Psychiatrist?
So how long does it take to be a psychiatrist? In order to become a psychiatrist, it is necessary to attend an undergraduate program, proceed to a medical school and earn an M.D., and then complete a lengthy residency process before obtaining a license to practice. So, it can take as long as 12 years to complete these steps and become fully licensed. Psychiatrists may choose a specialty area by focusing on it in school or within their residency, for instance they might select a school with a child psychiatry specialization or focus on working with those with special needs during their residency. Just how hard is it to become a psychiatrist? That depends on your level of interest, but the career is highly competitive.
Do Psychiatrists Go to Medical School?
If you are interested in becoming a psychiatrist, one of the big questions you may have is, do psychiatrists go to med school? The answer is yes. Psychiatrists do go to medical school and must earn a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). While most medical schools do not have a specific requirement for the undergraduate major of study, an aspiring psychiatrist might choose a major in psychology or pre-medicine. If you are interested in finding out how to become a psychiatrist with a psychology degree, the good news is that psychology is probably the best thing you can study at an undergraduate level.
Getting into a medical school is difficult due to competition for spots, and admissions may require that applicants score highly on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), have an excellent academic record and undergrad GPA, and could even require in-person interviews. Wondering how to become a psychiatrist without medical school? That is not actually possible, but there are other careers in therapy that do not require a medical degree that might interest you.
Why does psychiatry require medical school? Why, specifically, does a psychiatrist have a medical degree? This is an important component of psychiatric education because psychiatrists must be able to prescribe medication to patients. Only those who have extensive knowledge of medicines and diagnostic tools are permitted to give prescriptions.
Once they are enrolled in medical schools, students spend the first two years in the classroom and labs. They might take courses like:
- Community learning & social medicine
- Foundations of medicine
- Anatomy & physiology
- Pharmacology
The last two years of medical school generally consist of clinical rotations, offering students the opportunity to learn with real patients in a controlled environment. Psychiatric rotations will often feature different psychiatry specialties, such as geriatrics, addiction, and sleep medicine.
Psychiatrist Residency Programs
After graduating from medical school, 4 years of further supervised learning take place through what is called a residency program. So how long do psychiatrists go to school? If you include residency as part of the education requirements, psychiatrists may spend as much as twelve years in post-secondary education. Residencies usually take place at hospitals or other medical facilities which focus on psychiatry. Yearly written exams may be required during the period while in residency, such as the Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination (PRITE). Residencies allow soon-to-be psychiatrists to begin acquiring the experience needed to obtain licensure and work independently.
What Licensure and Certification is Required for Psychiatrists?
All medical doctors must receive a license. Licensure requirements for psychiatrists vary from state to state, so always consult the laws and governing bodies in your state to ensure the most accurate information. Generally, this requires successful graduation from medical school and completion of a residency. Psychiatrists may also need to pass the national licensure exam, the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). Licenses must generally be kept up-to-date and renewed on a regular basis, with renewal requirements typically involving documented continuing education.
Certification through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) is an optional process that some psychiatrists might choose to go through after obtaining a license. Certification serves to demonstrate a professional's recognized skill in a particular area by the certifying body, and for psychiatrists, is usually done to emphasize one's specialty. Psychiatrists who pass the ABPN's certification exam will receive certification in a specialty. Certification also comes up for renewal regularly, and may require continuing education as well.
So, do you need medical school to be a psychiatrist? Yes. Not only will you need to complete an undergraduate degree and a medical degree, you will also have to complete a residency in order to pursue this career path.
