Don't worry. All of my colleagues from residency and fellowship have high job / life satisfaction. Some are residency directors, others are researchers, some do private practice, and they are all quite happy with their lives.
I have very nice hours for a physician, I make really good money, my employer goes the extra mile to make me feel appreciated, and I'm in a high demand/ highly specialized niche. I also see less than 8-10 patients a day. I also have a strong multi disciplinary team that makes my work easier.
There are many paths to career related happiness but this is what I emphasized for myself.
1) pursue residency training at top notch programs (there is less of a regionalized effect in psychiatry. You can go anywhere you want if you are good. Train at the best places, worry later about where to live). You don't have to go to a top notch medical school. For doctors, it's all about where you train for residency.
2) Find a niche - instead of a jack of all trades approach, find something you are passionate about that has high demand. This will increase your career opportunities and demand for your services.
3) Stay on the cutting edge - this kind of relates to 1). Unfortunately in mental health, mediocrity thrives for various reasons and everyone thinks they can do more than they are capable of. Being wedded to some kind of academic interest (learn how to read journals, how to incorporate evidence based practice, etc) will keep you fresh and on top of your game. Even if you are not going to do research, you need to have an academic mind. Psychiatry is science first, art second in my opinion.
4) Learn therapy - it's not hard but takes practice (many less qualified than you can do it, so don't be daunted).
Hope this helps.
