Media Views of Child Psychiatry

[Saluki]

I'm a medical student in the process of gradually and slowly deciding between child psychiatry and pediatrics. Part of the reason, I've at times been reluctant to head down the child psychiatry path is because of its depiction both inside and outside the medical community.
Inside the medical community, psychiatry is often seen as not being "real medicine", while outside the media alternates between wailing about the shortage of child psychiatrists and then demonizing the profession for overdiagnosing, misdiagnosing, and overmedicating innocent children. It often seems like reporters can't decide whether there's a desperate shortage or child psychiatrists are all quacks treating imaginary disorders with harmful drugs pushed by big pharma....

It's a bit discouraging at times....

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[whopper]

The same reasons you mentioned are the same reasons why I didn't want to go into child psychiatry.

However there are children who need psychiatric treatment. The same things that frustrate you could make you a great child psychiatrist because if you keep those frustrations in place, it'll drive you to do a better job, and prevent the types of problems you mentioned.

The reward of doing the better job may very much overcome the frustrations.

 

[Sneezing]

The media is going to butcher everything. That's their job. They sell garbage. Nothing more. Who cares what they publish, except for moving the whole mob of sheeple in the wrong direction (*cough* socialized medicine *cough*).

They are saying the economy is going to tank, and then on the same day have another article talking about the great rebounds the economy is making. They say ppi's cause acid reflux. But when you read the study you realize it is only talking about rebound after drug cessation. Big difference in meaning. After you have seen some seriously abnormal kids you will realize child psych is NEEDED.

If anything, let these perceptions be your fuel. Be the doc who doesn't undermedicate, doesn't overmedicate, and doesn't over diagnosis. You now have a goal to aspire to. Go get 'em.

 

[billypilgrim37]

The day when I decided I was going to be a child and adolescent psychiatrist was the day I realized that I would in fact never run for political office. It was one of the most relieving thoughts I ever had.

It's good when you count your delusions of youth and grandeur slowly fading, and you realize a Saturday night spent on the couch watching last season's 30 Rock and drinking expensive microbrews in juice glasses isn't such a bad life.

 

[kugel]

The media is going to butcher everything. That's their job. They sell ...

Advertisements.

In order to do that, they have to get/keep your attention. Harder and harder in this world. Conflict/controversy sells. (and, of course, sex)

However, there are still journalists trying to produce good, fair, informative reports about health/medicine, including psychiatry.

As I skim the web, I keep finding that the general media reports I save and forward are most often from The LA Times. Sometimes The NY Times.
I'm not talking about pro-psychiatry articles or anti-psychiatry articles, but fairly in depth reports about the complexities, challenges, miracles and disasters.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

It is discouraging, but I agree with whooper that you could let this inspire you to become a really good child psychiatrist. If you think you would enjoy child psychiatry more than pediatrics, then I'd hate to see you not do it because of media perceptions or medical biases against psychiatry. And if you did pediatrics, you might gravitate towards behavioral/developmental work based on your interest in psychiatry, and you'd be right back there dealing with perceptions about mental illnesses in kids.

Personally I'm not drawn to working with kids, so I'm not interested in pursuing child psychiatry, but it is fascinating stuff. It's also very misunderstand (and perhaps poorly practiced), so you could be on the forefront of something really important. And I don't think the negative perceptions would impact your day to day life much even though it might kill that political career.

Anyway, good luck on your decision. I'm guessing this is not a new suggestion, but have you thought about the triple board option?