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Can I become a psychiatrist?

Hi I just wanted to I'm gana start a levels next month and I chose English lit,phycology and government politics what careers can I do with this and is it possible for me to become a psychiatrist with these a levels
You need a medicine degree to become a Psychiatrist.

If you really want to become a Psychiatrist, do a related undergraduate degree, psychology, neuroscience, or biomed (I don't know how likely you'll get on a degree like biomed though because of your A-levels), and then do medicine at post-graduate level.
(edited 8 years ago)
To become a psychiatrist you will need to do a medicine degree, and for that you need chemistry and biology A levels.
Reply 3
So it's a unlikely chance I'll be able to an undergraduate degree
Reply 4
Original post by Twinpeaks
You need a medicine degree to become a Psychiatrist.

If you really want to become a Psychiatrist, do a related undergraduate degree, psychology, neuroscience, or biomed (I don't know how likely you'll get on a degree like biomed though because of your A-levels), and then do medicine at post-graduate level.


So there's no chance for me to do an undergraduate degree
Original post by Fa123123
So there's no chance for me to do an undergraduate degree


No, I'm afraid. If you really want to become a Psychiatrist, I think it's a good idea to do a Psychology degree, and then a med degree, and then you can specialise in Psychiatry. Because doing a Psych degree gives you a real insight into whether Psychiatry will suit you, I've read a lot of Psychiatry journals during my course.

People often don't seem to realise though, that Psychiatry is a medical speciality, just like a medic would specialise in general practice, paediatrics etc, they can specialise in Psychiatry.

Can I ask why is it you want to do Psychiatry, as opposed to the likes of Clinical Psychology?

Clinical Psychology doesn't require a medical degree. The main difference between Clinical Psychs, and Psychiatrists, is that Psychiatrists can prescribe medicine, so can offer medical treatments to patients.

Clinical Psychology is insanely competitive though.
A lot of Psych undergrads enter their degree wanting to be a clinical Psych, but very few graduate wanting to be clinical Psychs. And even fewer actually end up being clinical Psychs.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by Twinpeaks
No, I'm afraid. If you really want to become a Psychiatrist, I think it's a good idea to do a Psychology degree, and then a med degree, and then you can specialise in Psychiatry. Because doing a Psych degree gives you a real insight into whether Psychiatry will suit you, I've read a lot of Psychiatry journals during my course.

People often don't seem to realise though, that Psychiatry is a medical speciality, just like a medic would specialise in general practice, paediatrics etc, they can specialise in Psychiatry.

Can I ask why is it you want to do Psychiatry, as opposed to the likes of Clinical Psychology?

Clinical Psychology doesn't require a medical degree. The main difference between Clinical Psychs, and Psychiatrists, is that Psychiatrists can prescribe medicine, so can offer medical treatments to patients.

Clinical Psychology is insanely competitive though.
A lot of Psych undergrads enter their degree wanting to be a clinical Psych, but very few graduate wanting to be clinical Psychs. And even fewer actually end up being clinical Psychs.


I always had the passion to do medicine I loved science so much that I couldn't think of another career plan but sadly my science gcse was a D it was because my teachers messed up my ISA and for core science I got C and I needed an A to do science a levels. So then I read about phycology I read about psychaitry and it really interested me. If you could give an estimate how long would it be to in total as you said I would have to get a degree in phycology first and then med school how many years would it take? I'm willing to study extra years for this
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Fa123123
I always had the passion to do medicine I loved science so much that I couldn't think of another career plan but sadly my science gcse was a D it was because my teachers messed up my ISA and for core science I got C and I needed an A to do science a levels. So then I read about phycology I read about psychaitry and it really interested me. If you could give an estimate how long would it be to in total as you said I would have to get a degree in phycology first and then med school how many years would it take? I'm willing to study extra years for this


3 years for a Psychology degree; and then 4-5 years for a medical degree. And then 2 years Foundation Years before you can even specialise in psychiatry.

It's a long time so I would think about whether it's worth taking that long if what you're interested in is psychology/mental health generally, or if you are set on being a 'psychiatrist' then finding out what exactly that entails and what kind of stuff they deal with.

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