How to Become a Psychiatrist

Psychiatry is a vast field covering several different branches of medicine, from psychotherapy and child psychiatry to forensic and pharmacological psychiatry to name a few. If you have an interest in people and the way the body and brain chemistry work, the field of psychiatry may be calling to you.
The Road to Becoming a Psychiatrist
1. Begin in high school by focusing on science and mathematics
2. Volunteer in medicine while still in high school
3. Focus your undergraduate degree around math, psychology and science
4. In your junior year as an undergrad, prepare for and take your MCATs
5. Begin applying to medical schools
6. Spend your first two years in medical school in laboratories and classrooms
7. Take the first part of your United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE)
8. Spend your last two years in medical school working with actual patients
9. In your fourth year of medical school, complete part two of the USMLE
10. Begin a residency program, specializing in patient care your first year
11. Complete the final step in the USMLE
12. Focus the final three to five years of residency on psychiatric care
13. Get your board certification
14. Begin specialty training

Introduction
- Are you fascinated by the inner-workings of the human mind? Do you often find yourself contemplating the whys and wherefores behind mental disorders like depression, anxiety or schizophrenia? If you are interested in entering into psychiatry as a profession, you have a long, but rewarding road ahead of you. A doctorate in psychiatry requires approximately twelve years of post-secondary training, beginning with your bachelor's degree and ending with a four year residence training program. Further training for specialization within the field of psychiatric medicine may apply.Canadian Psychiatric Association: How Do You Become a Psychiatrist?
Step 1: Get Started in High School
- In order to become a psychiatrist, you will have to become a doctor first. Your high school GPA will determine which colleges you will get accepted into, so it's important to study hard and maintain at least a 3.75 GPA. It is not actually required that you pursue mathematics and science courses while still in high school, but such courses will prepare you for the intensity of college level classes. Helpful courses you might consider in high school include:
1. Anatomy and physiology
2. Safety and first aid
3. Food and nutrition
4. Child development
5. Introduction to health care
6. Nursing
7. Computer applicationsiSeek: Career: Psychiatrist
Volunteering
- Getting involved as a volunteer in medicine will also give you a leg-up. Your school guidance counselor can help get you involved in programs that will help you further your interest in the field of psychiatry. They may be able to set up opportunities like:
1. Field trips
2. Job shadowing
3. Internships
4. Actual work experiencesiSeek: Career: Psychiatrist
Step 2: Obtaining Your Bachelor's Degree
- The next step is obtaining a Bachelor's Degree from a four-year college or university.
1. Before you begin applying to colleges, the Association of American Medical Colleges recommends that you study colleges carefully by asking a series of questions based on the quality of education their facilities and staff can provide.AAMC: Considering Medical School
2. It is not required that you specialize in medical sciences, but preferred majors include:
  1. Psychology
  2. Biology
  3. Physics
  4. Mathematics
  5. Chemistry (organic and general)Education Portal: How to Become a psychiatrist Healthy Mind: What is a Psychiatrist
3. Incorporate liberal arts into your education to prepare you for regularly dealing with people.AAMC: Considering Medical School
4. Study hard! A minimum GPA of 3.0 is generally required to gain admission into medical school.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
  - A higher GPA score may compensate for a low MCAT score.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
5. Schedule and take the MCATs during your junior year of college.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
6. Begin applying to medical schools near the end of your junior year.
  - To learn more about applying to medical school, check out our page on How to Become a Doctor.
7. Continue to volunteer in your field as often as possible. Volunteer experiences build character and look good on applications and resumes.
Step 3: The MCATs
- The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a prerequisite to applying to medical school. It is designed to assess the applicant's skills and knowledge to identify whether or not students will be able to successfully complete medical school.AAMC: MCAT Essentials The following steps will help you prepare for the MCATs:
1. Begin studying about two to three months before you are scheduled to take the test.eHow: How to Study for the MCATs
2. The MCATs focus on four areas:
  1. Physical Sciences,
  2. Verbal Reasoning,
  3. Writing Sample, and
  4. Biological SciencesAAMC: MCAT Essentials
3. Take a lighter course load while studying for your MCATs so you can devote as much time as possible to studying.eHow: How to Study for the MCATs
4. Some colleges may offer an MCAT study course. Consider taking this course to help you prepare.eHow: How to Study for the MCATs
5. Set aside time to take mock tests.eHow: How to Study for the MCATs
6. Try to take the MCATs early so you can get your scores back in time to apply to medical school.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
- The test consists of three multiple choice sections, each worth 15 points, and a written essay that uses a lettered scoring system. The average test score in the United States is around 24, with the top scores averaging around 30-36 points.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
Step 4: Attending Medical School
- Once you've been accepted into medical school, it's time to begin the hardcore training aspect of becoming a psychiatrist. Everything you have done before this has been in preparation for the next four years.
1. Years one and two of medical school are spent in labs and classrooms studying such courses as
  1. Pharmacology
  2. Anatomy
  3. Biochemistry
  4. Physiology
  5. Psychology
  6. Microbiology
  7. Pathology
  8. Immunology
  9. Histology
  10. Medical ethics and lawsPsychiatry.com: Student Information Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons Training
2. During year two, you must take the first part of the United States Medical Licensing Exam. This part of the test determines whether or not you are able to apply scientific concepts to the practice of medicine.USMLE: Test Content & Practice Materials
3. Years three and four integrate students into a more hands-on environment.
  1. Clinical and hospital training provides education in chronic, repetitive and rehabilitative care.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons Training
  2. Rotations in internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery teach medical students how to diagnose and treat illness.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons Training
4. In your fourth year, you will take step two of the USMLE. This portion of the test determines how well you apply what you have learned to patient care while you work under supervision.USMLE: Test Content & Practice Materials
Top 10 Psychiatric Medicine Programs in the United States
1. University of Pittsburgh
2. University of Pennsylvania
3. Yale University
4. Duke University
5. University of California, San Diego
6. Washington University
7. John Hopkins University
8. Mount Sinai
9. University of Texas Southwestern
10. University of MarylandResident Physician: Official Ranking of U.S. Psychiatry Departments
Step 5: Residency Training
- After you graduate from medical school, you will begin a four to six year residency training program, during which you are paid a salary to further your training in a hospital or clinic.eHow: How to Become a Psychiatrist Your time as a resident will allow you to work under the supervision and advisement of experienced psychologists.Education Portal: How to Become a Psychiatrist Finding the residency program that is right for you is the next step.
1. Begin researching psychiatric residency programs while still in medical school.
2. The best psychiatric residency programs are approved by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical EducationPsychiatry Online: Applying to Psychiatry Residency Programs
3. Study the differences between specialized programs to make sure they meet with your needs.Psychiatry Online: Applying to Psychiatry Residency Programs
4. Consider registering for the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), which matches candidates with residency programs that suit their needs and help you prepare for the application process.Psychiatry Online: Applying to Psychiatry Residency Programs
5. Complete all required application processes, including transcript, grade and score transfers, letters of recommendation and your curriculum vitae and personal statement.Psychiatry Online: Applying to Psychiatry Residency Programs
6. Set up and attend interviews.
Inside Residency Training
1. The first year of post-graduate residency is a medical internship that requires you to administer regular physician care to a variety of patients with a wide range of medical disorders.Healthy Minds: What is a Psychiatrist?
2. During the first year of residency the third step in the USMLE is administered to determine how well medical school graduates can apply their knowledge and understanding in an unsupervised environment.USMLE: Test Content & Practice Materials
3. The second, third and fourth years of post-graduate residency offer specialized training in psychiatry.Psychiatry.com: Student Information
Board Certification
- At the end of the long residency period, most psychiatrists take the board certification test, a voluntary examination given by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, but this test is not required in order for a psychiatrist to continue practicing.Healthy Minds: What is a Psychiatrist?
Step 6: Specialty Training
- After completing your residency and board certification exam, many psychiatrists begin specializing their training in one of the many different areas of psychiatry. These areas include:
1. Research
2. Psychopharmacology
3. Child and adolescent psychiatry
4. Emergency psychiatry
5. Consultation liaison
6. Geriatrics
7. Forensic psychiatry
8. Neuropsychiatry
9. Addiction psychiatryPsychiatry.com: Student Information Education Portal: How to Become a Psychiatrist
10. Some may even go for extra training to become psychoanalysts
- Specialty training can take anywhere from an additional two to four years, depending on the chosen area of specialization.Psychiatry.com: Student Information
Conclusion
- The field of psychiatry offers an abundance of career opportunity in a variety of settings and diverse branches of practice. While the road to earning the credentials required to practice psychiatric medicine may seem long, it is a profitable and rewarding career choice.