Description
Psychiatry is a wonderful combination of science and art (the art of life). It is one of the most interesting, innovative, stimulating and rewarding specialities of medicine. This field can help improve awareness about self, people and life in general. The working hours can be flexible with minimal emergency and night shifts, making it an attractive option for female doctors and doctors with families.
Requirements
In order to train in psychiatry, one must have an MBBS degree. Aspirants can consider opting for a relevant internship as part of their one-year compulsory rotatory internship programme. Typically, an individual has to appear for competitive exams to enter postgraduate training in psychiatry (MD or MRCPsych UK). On the completion of a master’s degree graduates can begin work as senior resident in a specific specialty and/or pursue higher specialist training in areas of interest such a general psychiatry, de-addiction, child psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry and psychotherapy. Alongside, some may pursue additional qualification in management, teaching and research as well.
Job Prospects
A psychiatrist can work across medical institutions/ colleges as a teacher while practising and conducting research; work in the private sector like a corporate hospital, clinic and/ or rehabilitation centres; research and development work in a pharmaceutical company; medico-legal work with the police, prosecution service, prison and courts giving advice on disposal of convicts suspected or deemed to be suffering from mental disorders; consulting at schools; life coaching and guidance via one-on-one psychotherapies, etc.
Pros & Cons
It is in high demand and there is a serious shortage of doctors. They can set their own schedule.
Many patients routinely lie to their doctor and even those who don't lie often will still do it at times out of fear of embarrassment or changes in medical treatment. Rates of patients stopping treatment are high and a large percentage will visit a doctor one time then never come back.
