Psychopharmacologists

[PikminOC]

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So can we all use the title psychopharmacologist if we are psychiatrists who prescribe?

I know for Board Certification there is a process and then you have to specify what you are BC in.

But what about these other titles?

Psychopharmacologist, Mood Disorder Specialist, Weight loss Expert?

I looked it up on the net and there are weight loss classes and bariatric societies that you can earn some certification, but do you really need these certifications?

 

[snarfer]

So can we all use the title psychopharmacologist if we are psychiatrists who prescribe?

I know for Board Certification there is a process and then you have to specify what you are BC in.

But what about these other titles?

Psychopharmacologist, Mood Disorder Specialist, Weight loss Expert?

I looked it up on the net and there are weight loss classes and bariatric societies that you can earn some certification, but do you really need these certifications?[/QUOTE

What is wrong with being called a psychiatrist? You didn't go to pharmacy school, so why would you call yourself a psychopharmacologist?

 

[PikminOC]

You are correct. I looked up Dr. Stephen Stahl who uses this title. He has a phd in pharmacology.

http://stahlonline.cambridge.org/aboutus.jsf

He actually has so many degrees I have no idea what all his titles could be!

 

[michaelrack]

You are correct. I looked up Dr. Stephen Stahl who uses this title. He has a phd in pharmacology.

http://stahlonline.cambridge.org/aboutus.jsf

He actually has so many degrees I have no idea what all his titles could be!

HE doesn't have that many degrees, according to the link, just an MD and Phd. Although he has training in psych, IM, and neuro, the website only mentions board certification in psychiatry.

 

[Scorcher31]

No special degrees or certs required. These are people, usually in high poulation areas, that were able to customize their practice. If I screen out everything but OCD, maybe do a little research or go to some conferences in it, get my name out into the medical community that it is all I do, next thing you know I'm an "OCD specialist". To me the psychopharmacologist label basically means they feel they know what they are doing with meds, will take difficult med cases as referrals from other providers, and probably don't do that much therapy.

In the end, all it really means is that person probably has a lot of exposure in that specific area and markets themself a certain way.

 

[watto]

Comment from The Last Psychiatrist (2008):

“When I left my psych residency the head of the psychopharm clinic sent me referrals. he called me to ask why they were coming back to him asking for another referral when I hadn't seen them and asked me what I was saying. They would ask if I was a psychopharmacologist and what my fee was. I would say No, just a well trained psychiatrist who understood medications well; and my fee. He said that I must answer that I WAS a psychopharmacologist, because he said so, and I must double my fee. I did and my practice filled with satisfied customers.”