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Career Focus
Psychologist or Psychiatrist
By Melissa 26 (USA)
Psychiatrists |
Many people consider a psychologist and a psychiatrist to be the same person. After all, both deal with issues of mental health. Both provide therapy services and conduct further research into psychology. But the two are actually very different in some key areas. The biggest difference between the fields of psychology and psychiatry first of all is education. To be a psychiatrist you have to have a degree in medicine while a psychologist gets a doctorate in psychology. Psychologists usually also have to fulfill internship requirements before practicing as well. Only completing such a high level of education can qualify someone to be a psychologist. That’s not to say that psychiatrists don’t work hard too. Besides getting a masters in medicine, psychiatrists have to complete a four year residency. In other words, don’t listen to Grey’s Anatomy…mental health isn’t a field for lazy people.
The other major difference between the two fields is that psychiatrists can prescribe medication, but a psychologist can’t. This is one reason you may find very different methods of therapy because one has an option of medication while the other does not. As a primary mental health care professional, both of these fields are very important in today’s society. As stress, disease, and other factors continue to affect lives, the need for those trained in areas of mental health will continue to grow.
Education or Training
It’s important to study hard. |
High school doesn’t offer many classes in mental health fields and it doesn’t need to. What is important is to use high school years to cultivate good study habits so college won’t be such a drastic change. Where you choose to go to college is very important. Most colleges offer degrees in psychology, in fact there tends to be a running joke about psychology & communications being the top easy athlete majors. Sometimes that’s true which is why it’s important to do some research. There are a couple of key factors to look for which I’ll list later. Besides those it’s important to study hard and keep your GPA up. Whether you choose psychology or psychiatry, you’ll need to apply to medical school and advanced education. This means that no matter your major, it’s important to get certain premedical requirements, maintain good grades and be active in your community. Following medical school, you’ll complete a residency as a psychiatrist. In psychology you’ll still be in school getting your PhD.
Keys to Choosing a College:
Wide selection of premedical courses
Good library and science/research facilities
Solid and published faculty members
High percentage of students who go to medical school
Academic reputation of the school
Job Opportunities
Forensic Psychologists |
There are a lot of job opportunities for mental health professionals but the better the job, the more education you need. About a 1/3 of psychologists & psychiatrists run their own practice. This definitely allows flexibility but it can take time to build up your practice. Many businesses and schools hire mental health professionals as counselors and psychologists. Again, these are lower paying jobs than at a hospital so education no doubt played a part. A fair number of psychologists choose to go into research, trying to better understand why the human mind works the way it does. The largest job opportunity comes in clinical psychology who deal with the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental disorders. But its not just office work with a couch. In fact, more and more legal systems keep both psychiatrists and psychologists on staff for their expertise in cases and evaluating crime victims. The opportunities are varied and keep growing. The mental health profession is expected to continue growing to accommodate the world’s growing health issues so this can be a great career choice.
Tricks to the Trade
Baylor College of Medicine |
Trick #1
Education, education, education. This sounds simple but the research into the right college is very important. A good GPA at a great college is going to do more for you than a great GPA at a decent college.
Trick #2
Be open to multiple job opportunities. Operating your own practice takes time. Consider other areas you are interested in, criminal justice, kids, etc and learn how to make your degree work in those fields.
Back to the Basics
Salary Ranges
The average salary for a psychologist is $64,000 (USD). Working for family services tends to pay around $55,000 while private practices can earn upwards of $80,000 a year. Psychiatrists get a better deal, averaging a salary of $160,000.
Schools
Baylor College http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/psych
Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk
University of Auckland http://www.health.auckland.ac.nz/psychiatry
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