Psychiatrist - How to become a Psychiatrist

Stress and worry are two things that are fairly frequent in today's world, and they can also be found in young stars. Stress and anxiety have serious consequences on people of all ages mental health. According to professional research, around 48% of Indians suffer from depression, and individuals are either unaware of or unable to contact a suitable specialist to treat this ailment. This demonstrates the significance of psychiatric care in India.

In light of the high need for Psychiatrists, pursuing a career as a Psychiatrist in India is an excellent decision. Years of intensive study are required to become a psychiatrist. In summary, Psychiatrists are medical professionals who help people deal with mental health issues. Psychiatrists frequently collaborate with medical physicians, social workers, and other professionals.

A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of behavioral, mental, and emotional problems. Professionals in this field must have high emotional intelligence because they must be sympathetic, caring, and devoted to giving the best possible care.

As a psychiatrist is responsible for developing an appropriate course of therapy for individuals with various obstacles, it also necessitates analytical reasoning and critical thinking abilities. If you want to be a psychiatrist, you must first have an undergraduate degree in psychology. Psychiatrists are medical physicians who attend medical school after completing their bachelor's degree. They must finish a residency, two or more years of supervised practice, and fulfill additional state-specific requirements for licensing.

Who is a Psychiatrist?

As medical professionals, psychiatrists are entrusted with diagnosing and treating patients after examining an individual's mental and physical health conditions, as the latter may impact the former. Substance abuse, despair, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or acts, psychosis, and other mental, emotional, or behavioral difficulties may prompt someone to seek or be compelled to get psychiatric care. Psychiatrists may use psychotherapy, commonly known as talk therapy, drugs, or a combination of the two to treat patients. Therapy or medicine appointments are frequently scheduled during visits, with the first requiring more time than the second. A psychiatrist's day is never the same, no matter where they work. Every day, I work with different patients, each with a unique set of needs.

Much depends on the sort of patient seen by the psychiatrist and their doctor's specialty. Patients come to a psychiatrist in private or group practice, while those working in mental hospitals, jails, nursing homes, and other facilities must go where the patients are.

In addition to patient counseling, psychiatrists must design individual treatment plans for patients, review and update patient records, prescribe and possibly administer medication, and send tests to laboratories to determine whether a patient has an underlying physical issue affecting their mental health.

Eligibility to Become a Psychiatrist

The eligibility criteria to become a Psychiatrist in India are listed below:

• An applicant must have completed the 12th grade in the Science stream, with Biology as one of the required subjects.
• Following that, a student must obtain an MBBS degree.
• After completing the MBBS degree, individuals must participate in the Psychiatry MD Program or a Diploma in Psychiatric Medicines program.

How to Become a Psychiatrist?

Going to medical school is required to become a psychiatrist. The initial stage in the procedure is to get an undergraduate degree, either in pre-med or psychology. The individual must apply to medical school after graduating.

After four years of medical school, the graduate sits for the medical licensure examination. They then complete four years of psychiatric residency. That implies that most psychiatrists spend at least 12 years in training before they can practice. If a psychiatrist wishes to earn extra certification, such as specialized training in various fields of psychiatry, they must complete additional education.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

• After completing the 12th class with PCB subjects you need to get admission to an MBBS course. To get admission in the MBBS course you may need to cracK some Medical Entrance Exams such as NEET-UG and AIIMS MBBS Entrance Exam. After completing your MBBS from a reputed medical college and compulsory internship. You need to do a course in Psychiatry.
• A bachelor's degree in health science from an approved institution or university is required.
• Because future psychiatrists must complete medical school, the student should study medical school prerequisite courses such as biology, chemistry, physics, and arithmetic.
• Psychology, biology, and pre-med are all good majors to declare.

Step 2: Apply to Medical School

• After completing your degree, you will apply to medical school.
• Following acceptance, you may anticipate spending four years pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree.
• A Diploma in Psychiatry (DPM) is the other option to adopt this field of medicine. The diploma course is for two years.
• Besides the MD and the DPM, there is a third option for study. The National Board of Examinations conducts a program called the Diploma of National Board Exam (DNB). The DNB is considered to be equivalent to an MD degree.
• During this period, the student learns about anatomy, histology, pathology, physiology, and other human body sciences.
• They also study medical ethics, pharmacology, and other topics relevant to a career in psychiatry.

Step 3: Earn a License to Practice Medicine

• After finishing their education, students will take an examination to get a license to practice medicine. Individual states issue such licenses, and the procedure varies by state.
• The state licensing board will likely conduct a background check to ensure the individual has excellent moral character.
• After passing the examination, the time between submitting an application for a medical license and receiving approval for licensing should be at least 60 days.

Step 4: Residency

• The following stage will be to complete four years of residency in a hospital or clinic, preferably in the state where you intend to practice.
• During this period, the candidate will receive training in areas such as drug dependence, neurology, and psychometrics.
• The resident either works in a hospital's mental ward or in a psychiatric hospital. However, the first year of residency is spent on general medical rotations, with a concentration on family medicine. Expect to focus on neurology for a few months after that.

Step 5: Obtain a License to Practice Psychiatry

• You'll need to get a license to practice psychiatry at this stage. Because each state has its own regulations and exams, it is best to complete your residency in the state where you intend to practice.
• If you move out of state, you must take another exam to qualify for licensing in that jurisdiction, as well as study the regulations regulating licenses in that state.

Step 6: Certification

• Finally, you must be certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN).
• While not strictly required, failing to earn such certification limits a doctor's career options.
• Psychiatrists may also desire to join the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the world's biggest professional organization for people in the discipline.
• The APA provides continuing education seminars, research opportunities, think tanks, and a large network for networking.

Skills to Acquire to Become a Psychiatrist

• When treating patients, psychiatrists must have good listening skills as well as great observational abilities.
• They must be able to argue inductively and deductively.
• The former is the capacity to apply facts and reasoning to a situation to arrive at an answer, whereas the latter is the ability to draw a conclusion by combining previously known knowledge.
• Dealing with patients who have mental or emotional disorders can be challenging, and the doctor must demonstrate that he or she can handle these stressful situations.
• A patient may become aggressive or angry, and the psychiatrist must know how to respond correctly in these situations, assisting the patient while keeping themselves and the team safe.
• Psychiatrists must also be able to tell when a patient is lying or offering misleading information, as well as when they are being sincere and honest.
• Other necessary skill sets include:
  
  • Attention to detail
  • Patience
  • Showing sympathy toward patients
  • Analyzing patient needs
  • Excellent Thinking and Listening ability
  • Good communication skills

Career Scope for a Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists, like all other areas of medicine, begin with a diagnosis and then proceed to therapy.

They frequently collaborate with other occupational therapists and social professionals to help patients recover. Psychiatrists treat patients through counseling, psychotherapy, and, if necessary, electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) or medication administration. When necessary, they will work with patients to desensitize them, primarily using hypnosis.

A job as a psychiatrist has a bright future. As technology advances, we find ourselves in increasingly difficult situations. Mental disease and psychiatric illnesses are more widespread in our culture now than ever before, and as a result, professional opportunities for prospective psychiatrists are improving.

Salary Prospects for a Psychiatrist

The average salary for this occupation is between Rs. 123,252 and Rs. 1,957,428. The number of years of experience in this career, as well as the institute where you studied, decide the psychiatrist's salary. Psychiatrists in India are compensated as follows based on their experience:

• Entry Level of a Psychiatrist in India - INR 9 Lakhs
• Early Career of a Psychiatrist in India - INR 9.5 Lakhs
• Mid Career of a Psychiatrist in India - INR 10 Lakhs
• Experienced Psychiatrist in India - INR 12 Lakhs
• Late Career of a Psychiatrist in India - INR 15-20 Lakhs

Additional Specialties Psychiatrist Career Options

While some psychiatrists practice in general, many specialize in treating certain categories of patients. These specialties sometimes entail extra experience or training in certain sectors, as well as relevant certification.

Such fields may include:

Addiction Psychiatry

Addiction psychiatrists can utilize this specialization to discover and treat the underlying mental disorders that contribute to substance misuse. Due to a dearth of suitably qualified addiction psychiatrists, this is one of the most in-demand psychiatric specialties right now.

Child Psychiatry

This field is concerned with children's mental health. Some psychiatrists work with both children and adolescents, whilst others specialize in either younger or older children. At least two years of certified residency and training in child and adolescent psychiatry are required for this specialty. Child and adolescent psychiatrists may consult and collaborate with juvenile courts, schools, and social care organizations in addition to diagnosis, evaluation, and therapy.

Clinical Psychiatry

Clinical Psychiatrists evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with mental diseases. They may work in a variety of settings, including offices, hospitals, and mental health clinics. A child psychiatrist's job description includes delivering medication or prescribing treatment based on the needs of their patients.

Correctional Psychiatry

Correctional psychiatry, often known as prison psychiatry, is a tough specialty that evolved as a result of the need to treat the large number of mentally ill offenders who are jailed. Professionals who work in jails and prisons must have a deep awareness of the surroundings as well as the individuals who are there.

Emergency Psychiatry

This specialty, as the name suggests, entails dealing with patients in emergency situations, which may include people who are suicidal or otherwise threatening to harm themselves or others. Violent patients and those in psychosis are two more scenarios that an emergency psychiatrist may encounter.

Forensic Psychiatry

Forensic psychiatrists collaborate closely with the legal system to determine defense attorneys' expertise to face charges, provide expert witness testimony, assist in the formulation of defense tactics and sentencing recommendations, assist in crime investigation, and treat criminals with mental illnesses.

Psychometrics

This position entails evaluating the mental health of convicts in jails and prisons, as well as determining if they are competent to stand trial. They may also assist the defense or prosecution in determining if a defendant is not guilty due to insanity. Psychometric experts can testify in both criminal and civil procedures.

Geriatric Psychiatry

Geriatric psychiatry investigates the aging process as it pertains to psychology and behavior, as well as the interplay of physical sickness with a patient's mental condition. Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia can be diagnosed and treated by geriatric psychiatrists in the elderly.

Learning Disability Psychiatry

This subspecialty of psychiatry treats people with learning difficulties, who are more prone than the general population to have mental health problems. Learning difficulties, often known as intellectual disabilities, affect people of all ages, including those on the autism spectrum.

Neuropsychiatrist

This subspecialty of psychiatry treats individuals whose mental health problems are predominantly caused by brain damage or disease, or by diseases affecting the central nervous system.

Organizational Psychiatrists

These psychiatric practitioners work in workplaces and other organizational contexts. They are sometimes known as industrial psychiatrists since they focus on mental health concerns in the workplace. Workers seeking social security disability or workers' compensation for mental health issues may be evaluated.

Pain Psychiatry

Working with chronic pain sufferers is a part of this specialization. The psychiatrist collaborates with a patient's primary care physician (PCP) and may advise the PCP on a patient's pain problems as well as aid enhance the patient's ability to self-care.

Psychoanalysis

A psychiatrist may elect to further his or her education in psychoanalysis and become a psychoanalyst. Personal psychoanalysis is part of such training. Psychoanalysis is a way of treating mental disorders that involves exploring the conscious and unconscious components of the mind. This method makes use of techniques like free association and dream analysis.

Rehabilitation Psychiatry

This sector works with patients who require long-term care as well as their family in order for the patient to finally reintegrate into the community. Patients in the area of rehabilitative psychiatry typically have psychotic, difficult-to-treat mental diseases. To help their patients, psychiatrists collaborate closely with social services and other institutions.