Psyche student

[psychestudent54]

I'm a new pre-psychology stuident, with an intrest that might take me to psychiatry. Muy whole purpose here is just to make a firm decision between psychology and psychiatry.

[corwin137]

Hello psyche...
What's the split about for you?  Meaning, what's the specifics of what makes the decision difficult?

[psychestudent54]

Well as a psychiatrist I have the opportunity of working in psychopharmacology and many other realms of neuro focused medicine. Your choices under psychology --in terms of advancement-- can become limited. I've also heard a nasty rumour that psychologists have to work twice as hard to get respect in a hospital than psychiatrists do, since psychiatrists start off as physicians.

[SWM]

hello 

welcome to our humble commmunity.
our community here takes an interest in both psychology and psychiatry so i hope that which ever direction you move you will find the discussion here of value.

Well as a psychiatrist I have the opportunity of working in psychopharmacology and many other realms of neuro focused medicine. Your choices under psychology --in terms of advancement-- can become limited. I've also heard a nasty rumour that psychologists have to work twice as hard to get respect in a hospital than psychiatrists do, since psychiatrists start off as physicians.

from your answer it seems psychiatry can offer you many of the things you want from your career. what is causing the difficullty for you here.

also in your answer you used say "choices in psychology -  in terms of advancment -- can become limited"
do you feel that there is more opportunity for career progression within psychiatry than within psychology.

it is true that in general and certainly in health care professions a psychiatrist will earn the greater salary.

remember though that to work as a psychiatrist you will first need a medical degree (MD) not a bachelors or masters. at least that is how it works in the UK. 5 years study for your medical degree then you have to train as a psychiatrist after you become a doctor.

on the point of respect within the hospital. the doctors hold positions of authority in hospital and are most respected because they have more responsibility for patient care. it will be the doctor that says a patient has leave or change of medicine, if a patient has a section enforced or revoked it will be at the doctors discretion.  in these environments psychology maybe seen as a form of treatment or therapy. this perhaps is the reason for the perception of greater respect.

personally though i feel that respect is earned by each individual on their merits as a practitioner not by their title.

[psychestudent54]

hello 

welcome to our humble commmunity.
our community here takes an interest in both psychology and psychiatry so i hope that which ever direction you move you will find the discussion here of value.


from your answer it seems psychiatry can offer you many of the things you want from your career. what is causing the difficullty for you here.

also in your answer you used say "choices in psychology -  in terms of advancment -- can become limited"
do you feel that there is more opportunity for career progression within psychiatry than within psychology.

it is true that in general and certainly in health care professions a psychiatrist will earn the greater salary.

remember though that to work as a psychiatrist you will first need a medical degree (MD) not a bachelors or masters. at least that is how it works in the UK. 5 years study for your medical degree then you have to train as a psychiatrist after you become a doctor.

on the point of respect within the hospital. the doctors hold positions of authority in hospital and are most respected because they have more responsibility for patient care. it will be the doctor that says a patient has leave or change of medicine, if a patient has a section enforced or revoked it will be at the doctors discretion.  in these environments psychology maybe seen as a form of treatment or therapy. this perhaps is the reason for the perception of greater respect.

personally though i feel that respect is earned by each individual on their merits as a practitioner not by their title.

     As I understand it, the situation is the same here stateside. To become a psychiatrist I'd have to become a physician and then specialize in psychiatry. either way I'm looking at a long marriage to my schoolwork and textbooks for the next seven years or so. I'm just at the point where I'm deciding between theraputic and preventive medicine... I guess you could say I'm still a bit hesitant as to where I want to be in my medical career.

[SWM]

three questions which will help you, write the answers down so that you can go over them and reflect and refine them as you realise more about what you actually want to do:

what are the most important things to you in your career?

what is most important thing that you want in your life?

how do your career goals fit with your life values?