A Psychiatrist is a medical specialist who treats mental disorders. You will have to pursue MBBS in order to pursue a career in Psychiatry. The job profile of a Psychiatrist is different from a Psychologist because a Psychologist does not hold a medical degree. There are different specialty areas in psychiatry which you can follow after completion of your course like Addiction Psychiatrist, Adult Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist et al.
What do they do?
Psychiatry is the branch of medicine dealing with the treatment and prevention of mental illness. Mental disorders are characterised by a variety of symptoms such as abnormal moods or behaviour, excessive anxiety and hallucination. Many mental disorders are believed to result from a combination of emotional, social and biological factors. To treat the patient, a psychiatrist has to first have lengthy counselling sessions with him or her to get to the crux of the problem. A couple of tests are then carried out to diagnose the ailment and a combination of drugs and therapy could then be prescribed for a cure. Psychiatrists deal with the science of mental health, wherein clinical disorders of psychiatry, and problems pertaining to social, occupational, and psychological concerns, are treated with medication and counselling. Two things critical to this profession are sympathy and patience.
- Finely honed thinking and reasoning skills
- Good measurement skills: Should have knowledge of principles of psychometric measurement, etc critical for research
- Have a lot of patience
- Ability to strike a rapport with the patient
- Ability to empathise
- Ability to remain detached from the patient’s problems
- As a part of the extensive training that psychiatrists undergo during their residency, they are taught medical and psychological skills
How do I get there?
You would need to pass the medical entrance, then complete MBBS, and then appear for PG exam followed by MD in psychiatry.