Psychologist V. Pyschiatrist.?

Question

I am curious as to the difference of the two. How much school, what is involved in school, what different carrer paths,.... and finally what is the difference in salard for phd in both.

Answer 1

Good question. This is something I'm considering myself.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD) who is required to go to medical school in order to get his or he degree. The overall training is about 4 years of medical school, 3-4 years of residency and then about 2-3 years of post-training. A psychiatrist does all of this training for the ability to prescribe medicine, and even though they can act like a psychologist by doing talk therapy, their main purpose is to find diseases and symptoms, and treat them. So these are diseases such as anorexia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention defecit disorder, trauma, etc.

A psychologist is not a medical doctor, but is a doctor of philosophy (PhD), a psychological doctor (PsyD) or has a master's degree (MA). It takes about 2-6 years to complete any given one of these degrees. They do not prescribe medicine like a psychiatrist does, nor treat their patients like psychiatrists. Their objective is to provide mental relief through talk therapy and other counseling methods. The problems they deal with are very long ranging, including personal problems and stress. They can talk to people who have any of the conditions that a psychiatrist deals with, but they would just be referred to a psychiatrist for treatment options (ie, medication.)

A psychiatrist on average has a starting pay of about $85,000 but can easily work its way up to $105,000. It can even be higher than this for someone who chooses to specialize in a certain condition or field. A psychologist normally has a starting salary about half of that $45,000 but can be up to $70,000. (If a psychologist chooses to initiate their own independent firm, they can charge more than that, becuase most charge up to 200 dollars per hour session.)

Don't be fooled by the salaries though. Both paths are very, very demanding, and require a lot in school. Getting into a medical school requires top grades and great MCATS, and getting into a PhD program from college is not easy, even with top grades. And then you have to do extensive hours in medical school, including rotations, then residency. Most people who go to the psychologist route end up getting their Masters first (MA) since it's easier to get into, and then do their PhD, which roughly takes about 10 years anyways (much like a PhD). PsyD's are relatively new and are starting to get recognition, but PhD gets more recognition.

Other routes you should look into: Counseling, Family Counseling, Social Work, Therapist, Marriage Counselor, etc. Most of these just require a Masters degree in Social Work or Psychology, and you can work as a psychologist at public schools or at community colleges, or you can work within the government social work divisions. The pay is about $40,000 for any of these options.

I wish you luck, and most importantly, do what interests you and makes you happy. :)

Answer 2

A psychologist has either a PhD in psychology or a PsyD. Their schooling involves undergraduate, then graduate schooling. Then they serve internships, residencies, etc. Nothing a psychologist does can be physically invasive. Nor can they prescribe drugs. Their therapy is mostly cognitive, meaning conditioning a patient to corrective behavior.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD). After completion of medical school, that is when they apply for the internships and residencies for psychiatry, where they attend both classroom and on the job training for that field. During a residency, they can prescribe medications, and perform other functions under supervision.

Answer 3

A psychologist knows what he is doing and works with the patient. A psychiatrist does not know anything, so he drugs his patient.

In many, if not most, a psychiatrist needs only to take basic courses in psychology. A psychologist knows more about psychology.

You are better to refer to psychiatrist as psychopharmacologist.

Answer 4

A pyschiatris is a medical doctor who specialized in pyschiatry. At least 8 to 10 years of school plus residency in his/her field.

A pychologist has either a masters or a phd. Cannot proscribe any medication since they are not MDs.

Answer 5

Psychiatrists have a medical degree. They can prescribe, psychologists can't. Psychiatrists attend more years of school because of their medical degree, thus they will make more money.

Answer 6

I think a visit to the library is needed.

Answer 7

psychiatrist prescribes drugs.