Psychiatrist Career Essay Sample
About 1 in 4 adult Americans, about 26%, suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year (“Mental Health Disorder Statistics”). Psychiatrists are the ones who diagnose and treat those mental disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified medical practitioners that assess both the physical and mental aspects of someone’s psychological problems. Psychiatry is a career in medicine that is dedicated to helping people by looking at their mental conditions and requires a strong sense of dedication and a passion for psychotherapy.
The path to psychiatry takes an incredible amount of time to study the field of mental medicine and requires a great deal of schooling. First, an aspiring psychiatrist must receive a bachelor’s degree, which usually takes four years. There is no specific degree required but a pre-medicine degree or a bachelor of science degree in psychology will be most beneficial as most of the requirements and recommended classes have been completed by then. Next, students must complete at least eight years of more education. “This 8 years includes 4 years to complete a medical degree and at least 4 years of residency” (David). Those four years of residency would be for a specific sub-specialty. Sub-specialties like: addiction psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, pediatric psychiatry, and neuropsychiatry. Then, after at least one year of residency, residents are eligible to earn a professional medical license. A resident must pass an exam for becoming either a doctor of allopathic medicine (treating the disease) or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (treating the patient). After receiving a medical license, doctors must receive approval from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Upon receiving board certification, new psychiatrists cannot stop studying. “To maintain their certification, psychiatrists must continue to enroll in education programs. They typically need to complete 30 credits per year” (David). Psychiatrists must be up-to-date with the latest medications and the latest treatments in order to help patients in the best way possible.
