How to Become a Psychiatrist in 5 Steps

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment as well as prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems. People seek psychiatric help for numerous reasons. The problems can be sudden, such as a panic attack, frightening hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, or hearing "voices.


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What does a psychiatrist do?

Psychiatrists assess all of your mental and physical symptoms. They make a diagnosis and work with you very thoroughly to develop a plan for your treatment and recovery. Psychiatrists provide psychological treatment, prescribe medications and even do some procedures.
As part of their work, a psychiatrist can:

• provide urgent care for a sudden mental illness
• help you to manage a long-term mental health condition
• provide advice about lifestyle changes
• work with you individually, or with you and your partner
• refer you to other health professionals

Types of Psychiatrists

There are a number of different specialty areas in psychiatry. Some different types of specialized psychiatrists include:

• Addiction psychiatrist: Works with people who have addiction and some substance abuse issues
• Adult psychiatrist: Works with adults experiencing mental illness or psychological problems
• Adolescent and child psychiatrist: Works with children and teens
• Forensic psychiatrist: Works in the courts and criminal justice system
• Geriatric psychiatrist: Works with elderly populations
• Neuropsychiatrist: Treats mental disorders associated with nervous system problems, brain diseases, and brain injuries
• Organizational psychiatrist: Practices psychiatry in workplace and organizational settings

Where do psychiatrists work?

Psychiatrists work in public and private hospitals, community mental health services and in private consulting rooms. Psychiatrists are very often involved in research, providing advice in legal matters, teaching and advocacy work. This means they also work in government departments, research centers and universities. Many psychiatrists take on a few different roles at the same time. They might spend part of their time at a public hospital and the rest seeing patients at their own private practice.