Psychiatrist

Psychiatrist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Psychiatrists are physicians who specialize in the problems of mental illness. As physicians, they are licensed to use a wide variety of treatments and may write prescriptions. Psychiatrists may work for the government, have their own private practice, or work in hospitals, clinics, or universities. Their duties include:

• Designing treatment programs.
• Conducting psychotherapy sessions.
• Prescribing potent mental illness drugs.
• Supervising electrotherapy treatments.
• Conducting research.
• Leading a team of mental health care providers.

Average Salary: $90,000 - $200,000

Educational Requirements: Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D. degrees

In addition to completing the requirement for a degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine, psychiatrists must complete an intensive three year residency in psychiatry.

Reflection: Do you think you would like to be one? Why? Why not?

I wouldn't personally enjoy choosing this career. The wait to actually become a licensed psychiatrist is too long. I’m not patient enough for that. I also don’t want to deal with the mentally ill. I don’t think I’d be able to prescribe the correct medications. It is also too much school.