Psychiatry is easy! That’s what all the medical students tell me.

[MedMan80]

you can open up your clinic next to my future clinic and when they're finished at mine, they go to your chronic lyme disease clinic. My clinic will be Dr APs wellness clinic for mildly depressed people going through a rough time, by the beach (cash only). Four rooms: zoloft room, suppportive therapy room, botox room, and then ozempic

Just need the Adderall room and you're set

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[clausewitz2]

you can open up your clinic next to my future clinic and when they're finished at mine, they go to your chronic lyme disease clinic. My clinic will be Dr APs wellness clinic for mildly depressed people going through a rough time, by the beach (cash only). Four rooms: zoloft room, suppportive therapy room, botox room, and then ozempic

You forgot the psychedelic-assisted therapy room and the ketamine buffet.

 

[WisNeuro]

You forgot the psychedlic-assisted therapy room and the ketamine buffet.

Do you need someone to help evaluate and treat "concussions?" We can sell proprietary "brain supplements" and get an SLP on board to deliver a year or two of iatrogenic therapy.

 

[clausewitz2]

Do you need someone to help evaluate and treat "concussions?" We can sell proprietary "brain supplements" and get an SLP on board to deliver a year or two of iatrogenic therapy.

Only a year or two? Don't you know all mild head injuries require intensive specialist therapy for life?

 

[WisNeuro]

Only a year or two? Don't you know all mild head injuries require intensive specialist therapy for life?

Well, we need the SLP to damage them/increase their somatization first, then we have them in other therapies for a while afterwards.

 

[Merovinge]

Just need the Adderall room and you're set

I accept no less than methylated amphetamines when paying cash!!

 

[smalltownpsych]

I love this thread. I chose the field of psychology because the rest of medicine seemed a little too mechanical and simplistic and interesting up to a point, but not quite as cool as the human brain, hence my avatar. I have worked alongside medical doctors for years now in a variety of ways and once they realize that I don’t suck, they all appreciate what o bring and I’m not even a psychiatrist. Believe me, I can explain very easily using neurobiology why my interventions are key. It is hard for the OP to push back yet because he doesn’t have the ammo, but it comes and then the ER docs and family docs and internal medicine docs and the orthopedic docs and even some of the surgeons are all ears because they see the effects of psychological factors every single day and are way out of their league as to what to do.

 

[Ratan1982]

I think one of the more common criticisms I’ve heard (ignorant, in my view) of psychiatry is that it’s basically clinical psychology with prescriptions.

 

[tr]

I think one of the more common criticisms I’ve heard (ignorant, in my view) of psychiatry is that it’s basically clinical psychology with prescriptions.

Um... OK, sure?
This doesn't seem that accurate to me but I also don't really understand why it's a criticism.
It kind of sounds like you aren't that interested in the content of psychiatry, in which case, don't do it.

I think your colleagues sound off though. I'm not interested in surgery but I don't go around telling med students who want to be surgeons that they are butchers who didn't have the intellectual horsepower for a 'cognitive' specialty.

 

[psychma]

Seems like docs often need a specialty to look down on. EM and psych are popular ones. My bet is they wouldn’t last a week in your shoes. They don’t understand how demanding it is and what you actually do. I’d ignore them and do what you love.

 

[Merovinge]

I think one of the more common criticisms I’ve heard (ignorant, in my view) of psychiatry is that it’s basically clinical psychology with prescriptions.

That's such a weird way to throw shade. Clinical psychology (PhD psychologists) are in a very competitive field that at many places can be harder to get into than med school and do extremely challenging work as they do not get to have medications as an out to make people better. Do they also insult mathematicians and economists? Anyone with a real PhD in any field is a baller in their own way and I don't understand how anyone would insult their work.

 

[WisNeuro]

That's such a weird way to throw shade. Clinical psychology (PhD psychologists) are in a very competitive field that at many places can be harder to get into than med school and do extremely challenging work as they do not get to have medications as an out to make people better. Do they also insult mathematicians and economists? Anyone with a real PhD in any field is a baller in their own way and I don't understand how anyone would insult their work.

Don't forget the countless hours in research methods and statistics/psychometrics in the PhD training. IMO, it's also unfortunately just a part of the US healthcare system continuing to not really take MH seriously. That's pretty clear in the CMS reimbursements for some MH billing codes, which, when taking inflation into account, shows huge pay cuts in certain codes. Heck, for assessment codes, with the proposed conversion factor revision, there's a straight 3 point something cut, with inflation making it more like a 5% just in one year. If any of you refer out for psych/neuropsych testing and wonder why waitlists are so long, it's because people like me have converted a very large chunk of their practice over to forensic work. At my current levels, if I went back to 100% clinical, it'd be 100+ more patients that I'd see in a year.

 

[nexus73]

Rumor (unverified) that our hospital CMO once said at a meeting something like, "psych just switches the pills around." Apparently in response to frustration about low census and lower patient volume per day than the ICU doctors. I don't know if it's true, but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[DO_or_Die]

I’m feeling really disheartened. I have always wanted to do psychiatry, but classmates keep saying it’s “easy”, and one of the easiest fields in which to match, which is true. I know you shouldn’t listen to what others say all the time, but so many medical students have this mentality and most of these people are top students matching into Anesthesiology and Plastics. One smart student told me “face it, psychiatry is easy. It’s all talk. They use the same four medications. It’s medicine for dummies.”

I mean this topic is subjective. My scores and grades are matter of fact higher than many of my classmates applying surgery and anesthesia. You could say anesthesia is the same 5 meds, too. I intubated over 80 times in my anesthesia rotation and got bored of it by the end, yet I don't bore of psych. Do what is interesting to you.

 

[Stagg737]

Rumor (unverified) that our hospital CMO once said at a meeting something like, "psych just switches the pills around." Apparently in response to frustration about low census and lower patient volume per day than the ICU doctors. I don't know if it's true, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Lol, that's like saying the pulm/CC team just fiddles with O2 pressures on the vents.

That's such a weird way to throw shade. Clinical psychology (PhD psychologists) are in a very competitive field that at many places can be harder to get into than med school and do extremely challenging work as they do not get to have medications as an out to make people better. Do they also insult mathematicians and economists? Anyone with a real PhD in any field is a baller in their own way and I don't understand how anyone would insult their work.

Pssht. Everyone knows that PhDs just sit around and make up statistics. They're not MDs, so they're not real doctors.

 

[MiddleRoad]

The OP is clearly a troll. I don’t why people are indulging this discussion when it’s abundantly clear that the posts are intended for trolling.

 

[SmallBird]

I’ve heard about bad consults. I think these are mostly due to these doctors having no respect for psychiatry because they have a higher social standing. But I’m sure they could do a proper consult.

What are you referring to? Is there a Burke's Peerage of the medical community in which we are all ranked? Nonsense.

 

[Styrene]

I’m feeling really disheartened. I have always wanted to do psychiatry, but classmates keep saying it’s “easy”, and one of the easiest fields in which to match, which is true. I know you shouldn’t listen to what others say all the time, but so many medical students have this mentality and most of these people are top students matching into Anesthesiology and Plastics. One smart student told me “face it, psychiatry is easy. It’s all talk. They use the same four medications. It’s medicine for dummies.”

I'm yet to see a medical student this year get through the first five minutes of a patient interview.

 

[phonyreal98]

Lol, that's like saying the pulm/CC team just fiddles with O2 pressures on the vents.


Pssht. Everyone knows that PhDs just sit around and make up statistics. They're not MDs, so they're not real doctors.

My PhD advisor once told me to "jiggly jiggly jiggly the statistics" as he wave his fingers around

 

[docksan]

As said before, psychiatry is rarely black and white. Much like radiology we deal with intensity and density in different ways, and boy are there no shortage of other providers who will look at a picture and go "yep it's cancer" without actually thinking about the picture.

Also, I watch 3rd year students struggle on psych simply because they thought First Aid was all they needed when the reality is they aren't responsible for anything and attendings or residents carry the team on their shoulders.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Just to clarify- when I said “perform well”. I’m referring to performance on rotations. Not just medical students but also residents have made these comments about psychiatry and they all had great reputations on medicine or surgery.

I agree about Anesthesia. But I’ve heard negative stuff mostly from surgery people like ENT, ortho, plastics

I’ve heard about bad consults. I think these are mostly due to these doctors having no respect for psychiatry because they have a higher social standing. But I’m sure they could do a proper consult.

Let’s take a step back.

Amongst friends and close colleagues, we all joke a little about how our fields are better. My AOA peds roommate is now essentially worthless 67% of the day diagnosing virus after virus and well-child after well-child. My ob specialist friend is a surgeon that forgot how to do surgery. He essentially just consults and answers questions. My academia peds ortho friend sub-sub specialized. Fix bone fix bone fix bone with q2 call is his routine and I out-earn him. My anesthesia friend is constantly blamed - even when my fantasy football team loses, I blame anesthesia.

Instead of getting caught up in this banter and joining this “whose is bigger” contest to decide your life, realize that there is no hierarchy of social circle by specialty. Other specialties are constantly inquiring about psych issues with me. Many are jealous that they didn’t go into psych. Some don’t have enough family time and regret their decision. Many struggle to understand psych and wish they could manage those issues better without me.

All fields have significant relevance, respect, and prestige in the real world.

 

[docksan]

Their post really hits home when you read it in Morgan Freeman's voice.

 

[Merovinge]

Let’s take a step back.

Amongst friends and close colleagues, we all joke a little about how our fields are better. My AOA peds roommate is now essentially worthless 67% of the day diagnosing virus after virus and well-child after well-child. My ob specialist friend is a surgeon that forgot how to do surgery. He essentially just consults and answers questions. My academia peds ortho friend sub-sub specialized. Fix bone fix bone fix bone with q2 call is his routine and I out-earn him. My anesthesia friend is constantly blamed - even when my fantasy football team loses, I blame anesthesia.

Instead of getting caught up in this banter and joining this “whose is bigger” contest to decide your life, realize that there is no hierarchy of social circle by specialty. Other specialties are constantly inquiring about psych issues with me. Many are jealous that they didn’t go into psych. Some don’t have enough family time and regret their decision. Many struggle to understand psych and wish they could manage those issues better without me.

All fields have significant relevance, respect, and prestige in the real world.

Great post. I will add that my partner (who is a surgeon) constantly complains about how many TV shows/movies focus on psych, like the work I do is just more interesting to the human condition.

 

[Ratan1982]

I’m genuinely impressed that the posters are not fazed by the criticism of psychiatry. It makes me feel better. Although on some forums here people do complain about the stigma and its effect on them, so maybe it’s a love hate thing. when I was on my psychiatry rotation, I did see this one talk where is speaker, an expert in schizophrenia, said that no one else can treat schizophrenia, and that “no need to apologize anymore for being a psychiatrist, we are needed“. Later in the talk, he produced some evidence, which was not a great quality and said “ sometimes it can be embarrassing to be a psychiatrist“.

i’m actually doing my family medicine rotation right now, and the doctor I am working with said, after I told him that I had some interest in psychotherapy, “psychotherapy is basically counseling. All family doctors do it.”

 

[comp1]

So, fortunately, med school does not last forever. The most criticism of psychiatry you will ever hear will be during your clinical years in med school. Hopefully it is very little, but there's going to be at least some defensive posturing to justify the dramatic lifestyle difference between say a hospital internist and psychiatrist for extremely little, if any, pay difference. The family medicine doctor doesn't come from a place of particular knowledge about what what makes most psychotherapy different from supportive counseling and that's fine. They're still going to recognize when they're in over their head with a particular patient, which is the primary role of a family medicine physician, not to understand everything about everything.

 

[WisNeuro]

I’m genuinely impressed that the posters are not fazed by the criticism of psychiatry. It makes me feel better. Although on some forums here people do complain about the stigma and its effect on them, so maybe it’s a love hate thing. when I was on my psychiatry rotation, I did see this one talk where is speaker, an expert in schizophrenia, said that no one else can treat schizophrenia, and that “no need to apologize anymore for being a psychiatrist, we are needed“. Later in the talk, he produced some evidence, which was not a great quality and said “ sometimes it can be embarrassing to be a psychiatrist“.

i’m actually doing my family medicine rotation right now, and the doctor I am working with said, after I told him that I had some interest in psychotherapy, “psychotherapy is basically counseling. All family doctors do it.”

No, no they do not. Many people think that they are doing therapy/counseling, but they are far from it. At best, some of the better ones are trained in some MI, but that's about as close as they get.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Post has been well answered.