Being A Psychiatrist Essay

Being a psychiatrist requires understanding, collaboration, and investigative qualities. According to onetonline, a psychiatrist must be able to “Gather and maintain patient information and records, including social or medical history obtained from patients, relatives, or other professionals.” This means that a good psychiatrist must keep a good track and investigation of patient records in able to make a good diagnosis. According to psychiatry.org, “The psychiatrist is thus the mental health professional and physician best qualified to distinguish between physical and psychological causes of both mental and physical distress.” This shows that a psychiatrist must be able to distinguish between mental and physical problems to be successful.
Psychiatrists are rewarded for their hard work and high education with a large salary and many benefits. The median wage is $87.44 an
hour or $181,800 a year. This salary may not be the highest compared to other doctors, but this salary is enough for a fairly wealthy living. According to Occupational Guidance, “Most medical institutions supply benefits such as health insurance, paid vacation time, holidays, and sick leave, as well as a retirement plan.” This shows that psychiatrists are rewarded for their contributions with coverage and ability to be away from work.
Being a psychiatrist requires a high level of education.
According to psychiatry.org, “Medical students follow a standard curriculum, with only a few opportunities for choice. In addition to chemistry, biochemistry, and physiology, students take courses in psychiatry, behavioral science and neuroscience in the first two years of medical school. In the last two years, students are assigned to medical specialty “clerkships,” where they study and work with physicians in at least five different medical specialties. Medical students taking a psychiatry clerkship take care of patients with mental health in the hospital and in outpatient settings.” This shows that in able to get to a career of psychiatric work, you need to go through at least eight years of difficult education. Psychiatry.org also states that, “ Newly graduated physicians take written examinations for a state license to practice medicine.” This means that not only do you need high education, but you also have many tests to pass in able to even get a license. This shows that psychiatry requires a high level of education and
intelligence.
As a psychiatrist, you could work in a variety of settings. You could work in regular or psychiatric hospitals, university medical centers, courts or prisons, community agencies, nursing homes, military settings, schools and universities, rehabilitation programs, emergency rooms, hospices, and many other places. Many psychiatrists (about half of the psychiatric population) maintain private practice meaning they are self-employed. The job requires you to pay attention to detail, be calm and effective in high stress situations, and being able to work with coworkers and patients. This means that not only do you need to be well educated, but you also need the personality qualities that all doctors must possess.
Psychiatry is a successful career when it comes to job outlook. The projected growth is 15%-21% and there are around 11,000 job openings available. This shows that not only do current medical graduates looking to be employed in psychiatry have excellent opportunity nation wide, but for future doctors, finding a position in this field will still be if not more promising. In the past 5 years, psychiatry has rose slightly in occupational ability, but has remained generally steady over the past decade. This shows that there hasn’t been too much growth in general, but there should be no loss in availability for this career.
As a cause of the required high education to become a psychiatrist, there needs to be available schools and institutions to get that education. Two of the best (and also my personal favorites) universities that offer a psychology and pre-medical major along with a medical school are John’s Hopkins University and Brown University. These schools are of higher etiquacy and have a history of providing a quality education, but cost more and are more difficult to get in to. There are also local schools in Vermont that offer an education in this field including Southern Vermont College and University of Vermont. These schools would provide a lower tuition for Vermont residents but may not provide as high of a quality in education compared to Ivy League schools.
Personally, I chose medicine because my personality quality is investigative and social. Psychiatrists must investigate their patient’s conditions as well as be social with them. I chose psychiatry because I am specifically interested in the mental aspect of human function. I valued my interest in choosing this career over money or any other benefits, even though psychiatry provides that. After researching on this career, I would say I am even more interested, but the con of this career relies in the educational pathway. I am not allured by medical school in the way it is run or in the type of education it provides. As a cause, I may consider investing in a psychological career and not in a psychiatric one.