What Is Involved in Psychiatrist Training?

Psychiatrist training involves 12 or more years of education and a residency program before a student becomes eligible to practice psychiatry. If a specialty is sought, an additional two-year internship in the field might be required. Psychiatrist training varies somewhat by country, but most regions require completion of medical school and two to four years in a residency or internship program.

A psychiatrist must become a medical doctor to diagnose and treat mental disorders. Medical school typically includes advanced courses in clinical research and the latest psychiatric research in neuroscience. Social science teaches students how outside influences might provoke mental illness and is considered an important aspects of psychiatrist training.

The residency component of psychiatrist training typically includes a paid position at a teaching hospital or clinic. During the second year of this phase of training, the student might see patients under the supervision of a licensed psychiatrist. By the third year of residency, he or she might be exposed to certain populations of patients, such as the elderly or adolescents. This exposure might help a student decide whether to continue psychiatrist training to become a specialist.

Psychiatric specialists might work as consultants in education, in hospitals, or for the legal system. They might open a private practice to treat elderly patients, young children, or teens suffering from mental disorders. Psychiatrists who become specialists typically also see patients outside the specialty, and may complete psychiatrist training in subspecialty areas, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders or depression.

The quest to enter this profession might begin in secondary school, with a student completing courses in math and science as preparation for university training. This focus typically continues at the university level, where a student usually will earn a bachelor’s degree in science, with attention to anatomy and psychology. Once undergraduate education is completed, the student can apply to medical school.

He or she typically attends medical school for four years to earn a license to practice medicine. While there, a student studies psychotherapy. He or she typically employs these techniques when treating patients.

Psychiatrist training prepares students to prescribe medication and order lab tests as part of their diagnostic work, tools not available to psychologists. Psychiatrists might also use knowledge gained in medical school to perform physical examinations to identify links between mental functioning and physical illness. Psychiatrist training and education prepare them to diagnose and treat mental illness using drugs and psychotherapy.