Why is Psychiatry as a speciality mocked?

Mocked by who?

Others in the medical profession. http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/discoverpsychiatry/anti-bash.aspx

I guess I'm quite lucky that I haven't been exposed to many clinicians who have an outwardly negative view on Psychiatry.

As a student, a lot of my cohort didn't enjoy Psychiatry because it was deemed to have less science and be more 'wishy-washy.' A lot of my friends went into medicine because of an interest in hard science and wanting a job that was very practical. Psychiatry, unlike other specialities, involves a long, long time with your patients (up to an hour) and requires a lot of patience. A lot of the other specialities I've experienced are more fast-paced and I think people enjoy that more.

Since I've started working, I've also noticed that clinicians tend to label the psychiatry patients as the 'difficult ones' or the ones who won't get better. This type of stigma presumably also has an affect on how younger doctors and students view the speciality.

I don't think psychiatry gets mocked. Its very unpopular, and quite different to other specialities so viewed... differently. But mocked? No I don't think so.


The most "mocked" speciality is probably surgery.

Why do you think it is very unpopular? Same reasons as above?

Does this mean it'll be easier to go up the ranks compared to other specialities?

I think treatments take a long time to be effective, which puts people off. I think that psychiatric symptoms - such as physical and verbal aggression, manipulation, profound hopeless depression - can affect you more personally than physical symptoms. I think its very legal and full of red tape. I think its very high pressure as if you make one mistake your patient can e.g. commit suicide and your name ends up in the paper. And I think its grating that a huge portion of your patients will probably never thank you for restraining them against their will - indeed many will hate you. I think that's hard for medical students and doctors, who often applied with the idealistic notion of 'helping people', to deal with.



Progressing 'up the ranks' is pretty much a given in medicine. People don't really not progress.

What you will have in psychiatry is better choice of job location and choice of job itself (e.g. sub-speciality, research etc). Its also pretty universally accepted that a job in psychiatry is easier than almost any other speciality.

That's actually really interesting. Thank you for the information! Just one last thing... Why is it seen as 'easier'? Because you don't need to know any science for it? Or is it because it's more 9-5ish and has more flexible hours etc?

Psychiatry can be very scientific indeed. My med school experience was different to Angury's - learning the different receptor targets of antipsychotics and antidepressants was quite challenging. In practice though... you can get away with being quite protocol driven yes. Depends who it is.

What i mean is that the intensity of work is just easier. Its pretty normal in medical specialities to work a 13 hour shift flat out all day no breaks for any food, drink, toilet, anything. And its relentlessly like that, day in day out. Psychiatry... is nothing like that! Ok I'm sure you will find some psychiatrist who claims otherwise but mostly you can sit and have a chat with colleagues between patients, take a lunch break every day, always leave on time. Some days there may be very little to do indeed. Its so different.

Just curious

fake doctors who just use a bunch of mumble jumble to make money (at least in america)

As someone said above, like psychology in comparison to a science, some people think it's less academic and more wishy washy. A few think it consists of people saying "Mmm. And how do you feel about that?" In response to anything and getting paid for it.

Just curious

Psychiatry is a specialty that is in its infancy (at least compared to, say, Cardiology). Its a specialty that attempts to understand and treat a patients mind and behaviour which is very hard to do and difficult to quantify and so I think a lot of people get frustrated by it.

It's unpopular but not mocked. Most medical students probably prefer to go into the practical and hard science depending on their interests.

Thanks for the replies. I think it seems much more interesting than the hard science to me, but I'm only a first year medic. Got years and years to decide

No problem. You do have a while to decide. Don't let this put you off, if you're really interested in it then pursue it!

I can't speak for the medical profession, but I think a lot of people still see psychiatry and mental health as a load of *******s. People don't appreciate the impact psychological things can have or even that they exist past a personality level. I expect that extends to the medical profession too, so I imagine any professional in that area would essentially be seen as a doctor of bulls*** who either spreads or buys into all the airy fairy psychological stuff.
That's not true and psychology is actually very important, but I guess people can see it as not real medicine because of their impression of psychology in general. Having a PhD in feelings doesn't really sound as important as Bone Doctor or Heart Doctor. It's not just a PHD in feelings, but that's how some people will see it.

Indeed. But I didn't think people in the profession itself would have seen it in that light until I saw that campaign... But yeah one shouldn't really care what others think at the end of the day if one enjoys it.