clinical social worker wants to be Psychiatrist

[heriyinxin]

Hi everyone here. I'm wondering whether there is some advantage for a clinical social worker to be a psychiatrist? Is there anyone here knowing some examples around you?

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[pingouin]

Well, I'm a LCSW who's been applying to med school this year and just got my first acceptance. Psychiatry's high on my list of interests, and the psychiatrists I work with have been very supportive. I've been universally cautioned to keep an open mind, as clinical rotations may well cause a change in plan. They seem to think- as do my old SW profs with whom I've been in contact for letters of reference- that the clinical SW background should be useful not just for the psych-oriented part of our knowledge base, but also for the intangibles such as rapport-building and interviewing skills. Those are going to be valuable way beyond psychiatry.

As far as other examples, I know of several SDN members who have gone psychology --> psychiatry, but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head who started in SW.

 

[heriyinxin]

Pingouin, thank you for your information. But I'm wondering why those several SDN members who have gone psychology convert to psychiatry. To be honest, I'm still swinging between clinical psychology and psychiatry. The thing that I convince myself to choose psychiatry is the prescription rights. I believe that only combination of medication and psychotherapy can maximize to help pt. I'm really curious why you choose psychiatry, but not keep doing LCSW.

As far as other examples, I know of several SDN members who have gone psychology --> psychiatry, but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head who started in SW.

 

[pingouin]

Pingouin, thank you for your information. But I'm wondering why those several SDN members who have gone psychology convert to psychiatry. To be honest, I'm still swinging between clinical psychology and psychiatry. The thing that I convince myself to choose psychiatry is the prescription rights. I believe that only combination of medication and psychotherapy can maximize to help pt. I'm really curious why you choose psychiatry, but not keep doing LCSW.

Hopefully some of the psychologists-in-a-former-life will see and be able to answer your questions about why they chose their route.

For me, I'm not choosing psychiatry, I'm choosing medicine. The point of this process for me is that there's a lot more care to be provided than what I am currently able to treat. Whether that will be in psychiatry or another field, I can't answer at this time. I love what I do, and I've been pretty happy and successful in doing it; I just want/need something more.

 

[whopper]

I'm wondering whether there is some advantage for a clinical social worker to be a psychiatrist?

The pay is much better. Psychiatrists are also harder to find and less expendable.

If you are a social worker, your skills will help you as a psychiatrist. The price is that its years of extra schooling & training.

One of my attendings is a former social worker. However he is somewhat introverted and technophobic. He wouldn't respond to you if you contacted him via the internet, nor would you get much info.

 

[TheWowEffect]

Pingouin, thank you for your information. But I'm wondering why those several SDN members who have gone psychology convert to psychiatry. To be honest, I'm still swinging between clinical psychology and psychiatry. The thing that I convince myself to choose psychiatry is the prescription rights. I believe that only combination of medication and psychotherapy can maximize to help pt. I'm really curious why you choose psychiatry, but not keep doing LCSW.

You are making an assumption that psychiatry is an extension of psychology. Psychiatry is a branch of Medicine and its roots lie in Neurology. I don't know if it matters but remember Freud was a Neurologist first.

 

[whopper]

(Let's not bring up the psychology vs psychiatry war that occasionally happens here).

Psychiatry is a branch of Medicine and its roots lie in Neurology. I don't know if it matters but remember Freud was a Neurologist first.

Training focuses on different things. Yes there's overlap, yes we want our patients to reach the same end goal. Managed care also pays each differently, and that does shape practice (like it or not). Examples: Managed care won't pay for psychiatrists to do psychotherapy. From what I understand they will pay a psychologist.

Psychiatrists of course should be skilled in psychotherapy, but the reality of managed care can limit the amount a psychiatrist can give. Alternatives are to ask patient to pay for it out of pocket or do it without charging.

 

[MacGyver]

Wait you telling me they havent given LCSWs prescription rights yet? I'm shocked.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Wait you telling me they havent given LCSWs prescription rights yet? I'm shocked.

Please stay on topic.


-t

 

[Chimed]

(Let's not bring up the psychology vs psychiatry war that occasionally happens here).

why not? It is always such a rich and educational experience.

 

[bjolly]

I'm an LCSW-C who went to med school (4th year now). I enjoyed my psych rotation a lot, but there's no way I would go into psych. Not that it's not a good field, it's just too close to what I did as a SW. There's no way I did all this work to get into and through med school, to do something that close to my old career. Are you sure you want to go through all that, just to work with the same conditions and the same populations, but be able to prescribe medicine for them? If your concern is that patients need both meds and therapy to optimize their functioning, I'd just stay a social worker and find a good psychiatrist to refer your patients to and work closely with.

Social work skills definitely do come in handy in medicine. Things like establishing rapport, working with difficult patients, etc are easier for me than a lot of my classmates. On one of my surgery rotations, I calmed down a patient who was threatening to leave AMA, and the rest of the team was amazed. It was like I'd parted the red sea or something.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

...Social work skills definitely do come in handy in medicine. Things like establishing rapport, working with difficult patients, etc are easier for me than a lot of my classmates. On one of my surgery rotations, I calmed down a patient who was threatening to leave AMA, and the rest of the team was amazed. It was like I'd parted the red sea or something.

Let me guess...you actually talked to the patient?

 

[MBK2003]

I had a great child psychiatry attending who had been a LCSW and worked in the field a number of years prior to returning to medical school. She used her previous experience to her advantage as the medical director of a clinical program that was LCSW-laden. She could get the most anti-psychiatry therapists to refer their severe ADHD kids to her for an evaluation and usually for meds. It was a real learning opportunity for me in how to manage personalities within an organization.

 

[jane70]

I have my MSW and worked in the field for a few years before going to med school. I'm in my 4th year now and interviewing for psychiatry. I definitely think the past in SW is helpful in many regards. It is a big decision to give up a career in SW you may already have, but it also can be a very good decision. For me, I missed science and I wanted a greater degree of understanding. I actually wanted to know biochem, anatomy, physiology, all that. I didn't think I was going to go into psych when I started med school but it evolved during 3rd year rotations where I realized it was where i was most comfortable. I think it is nothing but an asset regardless if you wind up in psych or another area. It's nice that the med school route allows you that choice!

 

[razorback58]

I completed my MSW in 1995 and then after two years became an LCSW and ACSW. After my divorce in 2001, I went to medical school in the Carribean. I had an undergraduate degree in psychology and biology. Being an older student it was hard to get into a US school and my MCATS sucked because my science knowledge for the MCAT had diminished over time.

I am in my first year of residency in family practice. I really thought about doing psychiatry and could have gotten some really good offers and even pre-match offers. However, I found that family medicine is where you will see so many depression states and anxiety etc.... If you go into family medicine you can practice all the psych you want to. If you go into psychiatry you are fairly limited on your scope of practice.

So many psych hospitals would offer me a position to medically manage their patients and also do some psych on the side since I do have a MSW. However, if you want to go from being a psychiatrist to a "medical doctor" it is very hard. Every day we go to our psych facility here and make medical rounds to manage HTN, DM etc.... Plus family medicine is only a 3 year residency.

I felt I would paint myself into a corner if I did a psych residency and made the scope a bit broader by doing family medicine. Plus the family medicine programs LOVED the fact that I had a MSW degree and they are looking for people that understand the mental disease process and understand cultural differences etc.....You can easily get reimbursement for an office visit for depression etc.... the reimbursement on psych is getting harder and harder with insurance companies not picking up out-patient or in-patient treatment. Most are very limited to only a few visits with the patient paying somewhere around 50% of the bill. A family doctor can do the same thing in the office and get reimbursed and the patient can come as many times as they want to.

I am very happy with my choice and thought I would share my thoughts with those that are MSW's and want to go to medical school.

 

[roseclue22]

Thanks for your thoughts, RazorBack. I think your post definitely has expanded my thoughts about what I might want to do once I get into medical school (if I do.)

 

[Shikima]

You could always do a psych residency after completing FP... just as an FYI.

 

[InfoNerd101]

Well, I'm a LCSW who's been applying to med school this year and just got my first acceptance. Psychiatry's high on my list of interests, and the psychiatrists I work with have been very supportive. I've been universally cautioned to keep an open mind, as clinical rotations may well cause a change in plan. They seem to think- as do my old SW profs with whom I've been in contact for letters of reference- that the clinical SW background should be useful not just for the psych-oriented part of our knowledge base, but also for the intangibles such as rapport-building and interviewing skills. Those are going to be valuable way beyond psychiatry.

As far as other examples, I know of several SDN members who have gone psychology --> psychiatry, but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head who started in SW.

Hello, I know this is an old post but for how long were u an LCSW for before becoming a Dr?

 

[michaelrack]

If you go into family medicine you can practice all the psych you want to. If you go into psychiatry you are fairly limited on your scope of practice.

So many psych hospitals would offer me a position to medically manage their patients and also do some psych on the side since I do have a MSW. However, if you want to go from being a psychiatrist to a "medical doctor" it is very hard. Every day we go to our psych facility here and make medical rounds to manage HTN, DM etc.... Plus family medicine is only a 3 year residency.

I felt I would paint myself into a corner if I did a psych residency and made the scope a bit broader by doing family medicine. .

If your goal is to work in an inpatient psych setting, you will have a lot more flexibility as a psychiatrist. In other words, an inpatient psychiatrist can handle medical problems on his patients if he chooses- in most cases- a psych hospital isn't going to allow an FP to do psychiatry- in most cases.
ON the other hand, FP is more flexible on an outpt basis or in a general hospital setting.