biopsych said:
Is it worth it to apply to med school if Psy.D. are going to get scripting rights?
Hi biopsych,
I asked myself that question about a thousand times throughout my internship and fellowship years.
I got my doctorate in 2003 and my license in 2004 so committing myself to another 10 years (2 pre-med, 4 med, 4 psych) of education and training right out of my program was a major decision for me but one which I am glad every day that I took (despite all the natural sciences that I am taking and still have left to take!!!).
I even explored moving to NM or LA where psychologists can prescribe or becoming a nurse practioner or physician assistant; the bottom line for me was that I wanted to be able to provide psychopharmacotherapy to my patients in addition to psychotherapeutic treatment and psychometric assessment.
Eventually, I discarded all of the other options and decided to become a psychiatrist. Why?
1. I don't believe that PhD/PsyD will be getting RxP across the States any time soon (i.e., in the next 10 years). Yes, we do have RxP in NM, LA, Guam, and the DoD (and one PhD in a Native American reservation in IN) and will probably get RxP in other small, rural States but not in the large, urban ones (possible exeption may be CA where there's a lawsuit and a Democratic legislature). I now live in FL and want to eventually make my home here AND RxP is not coming to FL. Annually, the FMA budgets >$300,000 for legislative lobbying while FPA budgets <$15,000!!! The FMA has been successful in convincing this Republican legislature that even an NP with a collaborative agreement with an MD/DO cannot prescribe controlled substances such as anxiolitics, hypnotics, and stimulants; making FL one of only six States where that is the case!!!
2. Across the nation the AMA (lead by the ApA) is united in opposition to RxP while the APA and especially its local chapters are divided on this issue. Personally, I know as many psychologists who oppose RxP as those that support it!
3. Additionally, I believe that even in those States where psychologists do get RxP they will have to negotiate a lot of hurdles in order to exercise it in the limited way that it has been approved, including: 2 years of post-doc education in psychopharmacology, 2 years of supervision by physicians and ongoing consultation, efforts to convince insurance companies to reimburse for the service, and probably limited practice opportunity to outpatients with uncomplicated conditions.
For me, the perceived effort to attain RxP and the uncertainty as to the prospects of that effort served to dissuade me from pursuing a post-doc MS in psychopharm and instead to choose the route of psychiatry (though I do support psychology's efforts in pursuing RxP).
Good luck in your decision and please keep us posted.
Peace.
