If you have an interested in both medicine and psychology, becoming a psychiatrist might be an excellent career choice for you. A psychiatrist is a physician specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
People sometimes assume that the titles psychiatrist and psychologist can be used interchangeably. While there are many similarities between the two professions, there are also many important distinctions. You need to earn a medical degree in order to become a psychiatrist while you must earn a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology in order to become a psychologist.
Psychiatrists are often self-employed, but they also frequently work at hospitals, mental health clinics, universities, medical centers and government offices.
The job outlook for careers in psychiatry expected to be better than average in the near future. According to a report by the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee, there is a shortage of qualified psychiatrists to fill the demand. The report also suggests that the specialty areas of child psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry will be in especially high demand in the coming years.
Learn more about what it takes to become a psychiatrist.
Photo by Brad Killer
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