The Student Room Group

Psychiatrist or clinical psychologist?!

Which one do you think it’s better?
Anyways, I wanna be either of those but I feel like I’m not that smart to even pass year 1 (I’m 18)
I haven’t failed any of my assignments or exams in my first year so I’m just scared I fail coz it’s just getting harder (I wonder what year 2 will be like). Do you think someone as dumb as me will be able to do become one of those? (I’m studying psychology btw)
Original post by Anonymous
Which one do you think it’s better?
Anyways, I wanna be either of those but I feel like I’m not that smart to even pass year 1 (I’m 18)
I haven’t failed any of my assignments or exams in my first year so I’m just scared I fail coz it’s just getting harder (I wonder what year 2 will be like). Do you think someone as dumb as me will be able to do become one of those? (I’m studying psychology btw)


you're passing everything so far so you certainly aren't dumb, a psychiatrist is for someone thats done a medicine degree so your best option would be a clinical psychologist.
Reply 2
I meant I passed first semester eek. It’s possibly I just took the longest route. Clinical psychologist isn’t that bad I think. Thank you for your opinion x
Why did you go anon?
Reply 4
Original post by YaliaV
Why did you go anon?


Idkk
Original post by Anonymous
Which one do you think it’s better?
Anyways, I wanna be either of those but I feel like I’m not that smart to even pass year 1 (I’m 18)
I haven’t failed any of my assignments or exams in my first year so I’m just scared I fail coz it’s just getting harder (I wonder what year 2 will be like). Do you think someone as dumb as me will be able to do become one of those? (I’m studying psychology btw)

Both are quite different routes as becoming a psychiatrist means you need to have studied medicine, whereas a clinical psychologist requires you to do degree after your undergraduate (not completely sure how it works!) If you don't want to study the whole of the human body i.e. medicine, pursuing clinical psychology would maybe be a better option.
At the stage you're at now, it would be easier to become a clinical psychologist. As others have said, psychiatry requires a degree in medicine so you'd have to finish your psychology degree and then do a graduate medicine course. Clinical psychologists are required to complete a doctorate after their undergrad but it wouldn't contain vast topics that are unrelated to what you want to do. That said, both routes are quite competitive but if you work hard and have the passion then there's no reason why you can't succeed.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by bones-mccoy
At the stage you're at now, it would be easier to become a clinical psychologist. As others have said, psychiatry requires a degree in medicine so you'd have to finish your psychology degree and then do a graduate medicine course. Clinical psychologists are required to complete a doctorate after their undergrad but it wouldn't contain vast topics that are unrelated to what you want to do. That said, both routes are quite competitive but if you work hard and have the passion then there's no reason why you can't succeed.


Ahh thank you so muchh XX
So after I complete my undergrad degree, I’ll have to do a medicine course then do something to do with psychiatry? And if I want to do a a clinical psychology, I’ll have to do a doctorate..can I jump straight to that?

Thank you again x
I’ll do some more research tho
Original post by Anonymous
Ahh thank you so muchh XX
So after I complete my undergrad degree, I’ll have to do a medicine course then do something to do with psychiatry? And if I want to do a a clinical psychology, I’ll have to do a doctorate..can I jump straight to that?

Thank you again x
I’ll do some more research tho

For clinical psychology, you’d have to do the DClinPsy which has its own entry requirements (BPS accredited psychology undergraduate + good relevant work experience) and the selection process is rigorous.

You can check the Alternative Handbook, I believe it’s on the Clearing House website - where you make applications to the DClinPsy. It has a lot of info about how many applications there were for each course and how many places were offered.