interested in psych

[marie337]

I'm starting med school in the fall, so I'm just starting to think about where I want to end up. I'm thinking more and more about psychiatry but I really think that I would like to emphasize counseling more in my practice rather than just med management. Is this still being done out there in the real world? Or, should I be considering psychology instead ? I have seen a few therapists in my life, so I'm pretty familiar with the therapy side of things. I'm really going in to medicine because I like to talk to people and help them and their families get through rough times. I'm not looking for blood and guts. I posted this in the psychiatry forum as well so I can compare input from the two fields.

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[50960]

Stick with med school. You can always go back to psychology if you wish. Medical professions are more solid at this stage of the game. I am not sure if you will be able to avoid med management, and you probably shouldn't as this is the nature of the field as it stands. You can be a great psychopharmocologist, and also be a great therapist; it is all is your focus with your patients.

 

[marie337]

Thanks for your honesty. I just don't want to end up in psychiatry only doing med management. I know that it is a big part of any medical field, but I think that psychotherapy could be really fulfilling for me. I would want to incorporate that as much as possible into my practice.

 

[Rolandicfissure]

I dunno. I've heard some people opine that psychiatry will not exist in ten years.

Absolutely not true. I am a fourth-year medical student starting Neurology residency at Emory this July, and I assure you that Psychiatry is not an endangered field. The profession is changing, but not disappearing.