Career guidance/advice? (Psychiatry)

[Maylily7]

Hello! I need some help!
I know what I want to do (I have since high school), I want to work in a psychiatric unit and help others, I want to be able to talk with them, help them with their progress, be a part in planning their treatment, and (if need be) be able to prescribe medication. This is the job I really want to do, however, I don't know which career path is the right one for me. Should I become a Nurse Practitioner? A Physician's Assistant? Or become a Psychiatrist (MD)? Also, I'm concerned if I would even be accepted into their programs? What kind of people do they look for? What do they expect grade and test wise? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Information about me:
Majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Psychology.
This coming fall I will become a senior in my undergrad.
Current cumulative GPA is 3.6-3.7, and my science GPA currently is around 3.3-3.4
I have no direct patient care experience.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this! I really appreciate it!
-Rose

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[Unico]

Hi Maylilly,

First thing, to maintain confidentiality try to refrain from using your real name on the message boards

Next, I highly suggest shadowing all the professions you're considering. It's important to expose yourself to the different work environments before making a leap as discussing the idiosyncrasies between them isn't sufficient to appreciate the nuances of each field.

I want to be able to talk with them, help them with their progress, be a part in planning their treatment, and (if need be) be able to prescribe medication.

Psychotherapy is mostly left up to clinical psychologists and they are allowed to prescribe medications in New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois, and Iowa (some of those require additional training to be able to prescribe, but it's an option). NPs and PAs can prescribe medications under the licence of an overseeing physician and do most everything that a psychiatrist can do but have a less formal education (and subsequently a quicker entry into the job market). Psychiatrists are classically trained physicians with four-years of medical school before they specialize in psychiatry for an additional four-years during residency. Residents are paid during training, but many moonlight after their first year to earn some extra income as the salary during residency can be mediocre. However, they have the ability to prescribe medications without any oversight after their training is complete.

Now, the ability to prescribe medications isn't the end-all-be-all. Many psychiatrists complain that their entire job is "medication management." This is an oversimplified generalization, but psychiatrists can see 15+ patients a day with minimal interaction and simply monitor/modify medications based on the input from the patient and their care team (PA, NP, psychologist, clinical worker, etc.). This sounds terrible for some people, but for others it's not a big deal as they understand their role in the bigger picture of the patients management. Again, that was an oversimplification as there are countless other psychiatrists (many of whom participate on these boards) who are active in patient care, practice psychoanalysis, etc.

IMHO, the most important factors to consider for choosing between the different avenues into psychology are dependant on what you want out of life (not what you want from your job). This flips the common paradigm that our jobs should be our life's focus to our life should be our life's focus. Do you want kids? Can you handle being broke with 100k+ loans for a few years before you actually start to earn an income? Do you want to own a business? Do you want to do research? Do you want to practice in a big city or a small town? How much responsibility to you really want on your shoulders? Do you want the options to "turn off" your brain during the evenings and weekends -- eg, do you want a stable 9-5 or can you handle getting calls at 2am every night for weeks on end? Do you want the "prestige" of having M.D. after your name? Most importantly, do you want to grind through 4 years of very limited psychiatry exposure during medical school? Forget about the "what ifs" -- what if I don't get in, what if I fail out, etc. Those are bridges to be crossed at a later date. Don't let anxiety paralyze you into inaction. The worst that can happen isn't that bad

There have been countless people in your shoes who have asked the exact same question you're asking now -- search the boards and read those threads. Additionally, PM the OPs and see what they're doing now and if they have any advice for you (but as always with advice, take it as grain of salt and remember that ultimately you are the master of your own destiny).

I don't know which career path is the right one for me.

No one really does, that's life

Some reading:
http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/psych-career.aspx
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/about-psychologists.aspx
http://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3866#6
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/psychology-psy-d-ph-d.57/

Good luck Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions about medical school (current MS3, psychiatry applicant next cycle )

 

[deleted343839]

I want to work in a psychiatric unit and help others, I want to be able to talk with them, help them with their progress, be a part in planning their treatment, and (if need be) be able to prescribe medication.

Also consider clinical social work. Social workers have an important role to play in psychiatric care, they can provide psychotherapy with the appropriate training, and they spend less time in school.

Psychology is not a good fit if you want to prescribe meds, especially in an inpatient setting where that will typically be performed by the attending psychiatrist and extenders (NP/PA).

 

[libertyyne]

NP, PA and MD should get you to your goal. You pick what you want, all of them have benefits and drawbacks. Good luck.