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Is it possible to be a psychiatrist if your first degree is psychology?

I am an international student from China, currently study in the UK and I applied for psychology through UCAS and accept an offer from UCL.

Just want to ask is it possible if I want to become a psychiatrist and my undergraduate degree is a psychology one? I want to learn psychology as a major and meanwhile take biology or chemistry as complement and then get into a medicine school after 3 years university....:tongue:

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Reply 1
A Psychiatrist is a Doctor.

With Psychology you can be a clinical psychologist - a similar job but without the ability to prescribe medication.

If you have your heart set on psychiatry, I'd take a gap year, do medicine instead, and follow that route. You'd be into your 30s before you get a job as a psychiatrist otherwise.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 2
Yes, but you would have to do graduate entry medicine and then complete foundation years before entering specialist psychiatry training. You won't get to do it in a shorter time because of your first degree.
Reply 3
Original post by Epione

Original post by Epione
A Psychiatrist is a Doctor.

With Psychology you can be a clinical psychologist - a similar job but without the ability to prescribe medication.

If you have your heart set on psychiatry, I'd take a gap year, do medicine instead, and follow that route. You'd be into your 30s before you get a job as a psychiatrist otherwise.


Yes, I understand. But my plan is to do psychology for first degree only, not further. Is it possible to get into a medicine school for postgraduate and then get a M.D in this way?(which a psychiatrist need)
Reply 4
Yes it is possible. Psychiatrists need a med degree, then foundation years, then specialty training which totals above 10 years. Taking psychology has just prolonged being a pyschiatrist i think :\
Is being a psychologist not a possibility?
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by LavenderBlueSky88
It is possible but I think after you have a degree in medicine you then have to do a years further training in psychiatry! I am not completely sure but good luck! :biggrin:


.....


If you intend to do your psychology degree it will be;

3yrs psychology bsc
5yrs (4 if GEP) medicine
2yrs foundation program
6 years specialty training
consultant psychiatrist

so 16 years as a MINIMUM, theres not guarantee of a)getting into medicine 1st time, b) getting onto any of non run-through years of speciality training, c) getting a consultant position
Reply 6
Original post by Epione
A Psychiatrist is a Doctor.

With Psychology you can be a clinical psychologist - a similar job but without the ability to prescribe medication.

If you have your heart set on psychiatry, I'd take a gap year, do medicine instead, and follow that route. You'd be into your 30s before you get a job as a psychiatrist otherwise.


Most doctors are in their 30s before they get to consultant level anyway i think.
Reply 7
Original post by John Locke

Original post by John Locke
.....


If you intend to do your psychology degree it will be;

3yrs psychology bsc
5yrs (4 if GEP) medicine
2yrs foundation program
6 years specialty training
consultant psychiatrist

so 16 years as a MINIMUM, theres not guarantee of a)getting into medicine 1st time, b) getting onto any of non run-through years of speciality training, c) getting a consultant position


It seems like my first 3 years is waste of time..
Original post by Herbert.Hu
It seems like my first 3 years is waste of time..


It sort of would be cause you'd need to take the same path to becoming a psychiatrist whether you do medicine as an undergraduate or a post grad. Why are you planning on doing psychology anyway? Do you not have the grades to get into undergrad medicine?
Reply 9
Oh man i'm going the long way round. Don't bother.
Just apply for medicine, even if you waste a couple of years trying to get in you'll be saving yourself a load of money
Original post by Herbert.Hu
It seems like my first 3 years is waste of time..


best case scenario you get onto the GEP and have a year shorter medical degree, but that still leaves two years wasted....

also if you intercalate on the medical degree (ie do a 6yr rather than 5) you can do a BSc equivalent in psych related things in some places (cardiff for one deffo does a medical psych intercalated BSc).
Original post by Epione

With Psychology you can be a clinical psychologist - a similar job but without the ability to prescribe medication.



Not really.
I'm glad someone posted this question because I was really interested in it!! But the best thing for you to do if you REALLY want to be a psychiatrist is go to America. I mean, if you're in China, you'll still pay over seas fees and America will give you loads of opportunities.... Take a gap year, or apply now - i think some uni applications are still open : )
Hope this helped
Reply 13
Original post by using_the_force

Original post by using_the_force
I'm glad someone posted this question because I was really interested in it!! But the best thing for you to do if you REALLY want to be a psychiatrist is go to America. I mean, if you're in China, you'll still pay over seas fees and America will give you loads of opportunities.... Take a gap year, or apply now - i think some uni applications are still open : )
Hope this helped


As far as I know, USA doesn't have medicine school for undergraduate, their students do something like psychology, biology and chemistry for first degree and then start their medical life in postgraduate for another four years
Think about it this way- Are you interested solely in becoming a psychiatrist? Or wanting to do medicine in general? As you'll be learning and doing placements in all the other specialities for at least 5 years before you can specialise.

Maybe if it's the psychology stuff you love go do psychology and become a clinical psychologist instead? They are both completely different, so you need to decide what you actually want.
Reply 15
To ask something not related to this question: which job is better and more well-paid? As far as I know, psychiatrist can earn more than a clinical psychologist. However, clinical psychologist is much more flexible than a psychiatrist, they can jump to various places to work and also can have their own clinic. Famous and experienced clinical psychologist is also like a bussiness man...making such amount of money by treating patients charging at a high price...am i correct? :P
Reply 16
Original post by Herbert.Hu
To ask something not related to this question: which job is better and more well-paid? As far as I know, psychiatrist can earn more than a clinical psychologist. However, clinical psychologist is much more flexible than a psychiatrist, they can jump to various places to work and also can have their own clinic. Famous and experienced clinical psychologist is also like a bussiness man...making such amount of money by treating patients charging at a high price...am i correct? :P



According to the british psychological society website:

How much do they get paid?
"
Assistant Psychologists are normally paid on the NHS Agenda for Change bands 4 to 6. Band 4 starts at around £15,000. Qualified Clinical Psychologists start from around £25,000 (band 7), with pay scales going to £80,000+ for very senior positions. Details of the most recent salary scales can be found on the NHS website. " (http://goo.gl/RpJqy)

I don't think its just as much as psychiatrists, but the quality of life is probably better than a consultant's.
Original post by using_the_force
I'm glad someone posted this question because I was really interested in it!! But the best thing for you to do if you REALLY want to be a psychiatrist is go to America. I mean, if you're in China, you'll still pay over seas fees and America will give you loads of opportunities.... Take a gap year, or apply now - i think some uni applications are still open : )
Hope this helped


Uhh, why?
Original post by GodspeedGehenna
Uhh, why?


Erm, why what?
Original post by using_the_force
Erm, why what?


Why should he/she go to the US specifically because he/she wants to be a psych?

For a start, they'll need an undergraduate as medicine is taught at graduate school only (some requesting that such undergraduate needs to be obtained within an American university). In addition, barely 10% of all the medics trained in the US are foreign students and the fees will be significantly higher than the international fees paid in the UK.

I see no reason for you suggesting that they go to the US.

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