should i go to medical school to be a psychiatrist or do a psychology phd?
I am really interested in psychiatry as i like the idea of leading people and being in charge of diagnosing and making a treatment plan however i also would want to be able to do CBT and therapy with clients, is this something that psychiatrists are able to do, or is it always the psychologist that actually carries out the therapy? people say a psychiatrist is a psychologist that prescribes medicine but how far is this from reality? I would really like to be able to help patients by more than just giving them medicine but i much prefer the route of medical school and the psychiatrist role. Would i be better suited to be a psychologist, or do i stick to medicine???? Applications open soon and i’ve got no idea 💔
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by lkjhgfdsazxcvbnm
I am really interested in psychiatry as i like the idea of leading people and being in charge of diagnosing and making a treatment plan however i also would want to be able to do CBT and therapy with clients, is this something that psychiatrists are able to do, or is it always the psychologist that actually carries out the therapy? people say a psychiatrist is a psychologist that prescribes medicine but how far is this from reality? I would really like to be able to help patients by more than just giving them medicine but i much prefer the route of medical school and the psychiatrist role. Would i be better suited to be a psychologist, or do i stick to medicine???? Applications open soon and i’ve got no idea 💔
Theres a book i read recently called "The Devil You Know: Encounters in Forensic Psychiatry" By Dr Gwen Adshead. I think it would give you a very good idea of the role of a psychiatrist. Be warned though, the book has some very serious cases that made me stop reading it for awhile. To try and answer your question though, psychiatrists do give their patients forms of therapy such as CBT, so its not solely prescribing work.
Career profiles
Psychologist - https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/clinical-psychologist
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Psychologist - https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/clinical-psychologist
Psychiatrist - https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/psychiatrist
It depends which areas you're most interested in. Generally only psychiatrists can diagnose but a whole MDT would create a treatment plan as each part would need specialist input. Psychiatrists also prescribe medication and often act as a patient's responsible clinician, the individual with the overall responsibility of a patient's care.
Education wise, it probably takes roughly the same amount of time to qualify as either but I'd imagine psychiatry is easier to find a job/relevant experience in. Psychologists tend to be more patient facing and spend more time getting to know the patient on a deeper level.
(I can also recommend the book mentioned by the above user, it's great!)
Education wise, it probably takes roughly the same amount of time to qualify as either but I'd imagine psychiatry is easier to find a job/relevant experience in. Psychologists tend to be more patient facing and spend more time getting to know the patient on a deeper level.
(I can also recommend the book mentioned by the above user, it's great!)
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by yuflame
Theres a book i read recently called "The Devil You Know: Encounters in Forensic Psychiatry" By Dr Gwen Adshead. I think it would give you a very good idea of the role of a psychiatrist. Be warned though, the book has some very serious cases that made me stop reading it for awhile. To try and answer your question though, psychiatrists do give their patients forms of therapy such as CBT, so its not solely prescribing work.
Thank you, that book sounds really interesting, just ordered a copy
Original post by bones-mccoy
It depends which areas you're most interested in. Generally only psychiatrists can diagnose but a whole MDT would create a treatment plan as each part would need specialist input. Psychiatrists also prescribe medication and often act as a patient's responsible clinician, the individual with the overall responsibility of a patient's care.
Education wise, it probably takes roughly the same amount of time to qualify as either but I'd imagine psychiatry is easier to find a job/relevant experience in. Psychologists tend to be more patient facing and spend more time getting to know the patient on a deeper level.
(I can also recommend the book mentioned by the above user, it's great!)
Education wise, it probably takes roughly the same amount of time to qualify as either but I'd imagine psychiatry is easier to find a job/relevant experience in. Psychologists tend to be more patient facing and spend more time getting to know the patient on a deeper level.
(I can also recommend the book mentioned by the above user, it's great!)
Atm id say i’m interesting in eating disorders and psychotic disorders but i also really like positive psychology although that’s not really related to psychiatry. I’ve also always been into true crime and originally thought about police work so i think i might enjoy forensic as well- i’ll definitely have to give the book a read!. Thank you for the help! I think ill prefer the psychiatry route (:
The psychiatry route offers a lot more certainty and career progression. For that route the issue is getting into medical school, as once you are past that barrier things are very straight forward and mapped out for you to get to consultant grade. Due to the massive shortage of psychiatrist (and even fewer awesome psychiatrists) you are going to be in high demand.
For clinical psychology, the bottleneck starts after you graduate from your undergrad degree. The route to getting onto clinical training is really competitive and not that clear or guaranteed. Once you get onto the doctorate, things get a a lot better, but making the jump from Band 8a (Senior Psychologist) to consultant grade is a lot harder, as there are very few posts.
The roles are very different though, especially in the NHS where psychiatrists roles are far more circumscribed, and if you can spend some time in settings observing both disciplines I would strongly recommend it.
For clinical psychology, the bottleneck starts after you graduate from your undergrad degree. The route to getting onto clinical training is really competitive and not that clear or guaranteed. Once you get onto the doctorate, things get a a lot better, but making the jump from Band 8a (Senior Psychologist) to consultant grade is a lot harder, as there are very few posts.
The roles are very different though, especially in the NHS where psychiatrists roles are far more circumscribed, and if you can spend some time in settings observing both disciplines I would strongly recommend it.
Hey there,
I'm currently a second year student studying Psychology, and hoping to eventually be a clinical psychologist.
My understanding between psychiatrist and psychologist is that yes a psychiatrist more medical/biology based and can prescribe medicine. However a psychologist will have very similar knowledge and a bit more, but unable to prescribe - but you can refer to a psychiatrist if you feel a client needs medicine. A psychologist can deliver and organise treatment plans for patients and sometimes a better understanding of how someones brain is operating.
During my degree we pretty much cover all parts of psychology; cognitive, biological, social, positive, forensic, developmental etc. so you develop a good understanding of all the applications in psychology. It's a really flexible degree and can take you anywhere from clinical psychology, detective work, or even investment banking. To become a qualified psychologist you need to be accredited by the BPS (doing a degree basically approve by the british psychological society) and a doctorate in a field of Psychology. You can become a CBT therapist just with a undergrad degree too but you won't have the psychologist label, you'd be known as a practitioner instead. I would look into wellbeing practitioners through the NHS, following your undergrad they will train you in CBT.
If you're unsure, attend some university open days that offer Psychology and Psychiatry degrees to ask them some questions about the courses and where it will take you
Feel free to ask any questions,
Lauren -Official Student Rep
I'm currently a second year student studying Psychology, and hoping to eventually be a clinical psychologist.
My understanding between psychiatrist and psychologist is that yes a psychiatrist more medical/biology based and can prescribe medicine. However a psychologist will have very similar knowledge and a bit more, but unable to prescribe - but you can refer to a psychiatrist if you feel a client needs medicine. A psychologist can deliver and organise treatment plans for patients and sometimes a better understanding of how someones brain is operating.
During my degree we pretty much cover all parts of psychology; cognitive, biological, social, positive, forensic, developmental etc. so you develop a good understanding of all the applications in psychology. It's a really flexible degree and can take you anywhere from clinical psychology, detective work, or even investment banking. To become a qualified psychologist you need to be accredited by the BPS (doing a degree basically approve by the british psychological society) and a doctorate in a field of Psychology. You can become a CBT therapist just with a undergrad degree too but you won't have the psychologist label, you'd be known as a practitioner instead. I would look into wellbeing practitioners through the NHS, following your undergrad they will train you in CBT.
If you're unsure, attend some university open days that offer Psychology and Psychiatry degrees to ask them some questions about the courses and where it will take you
Feel free to ask any questions,
Lauren -Official Student Rep
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