Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists are medical doctors that counsel, diagnose, and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or behavioral illnesses and/or disorders. These physicians work with patients to assess their mental health and design treatment programs to help them to be better able to function normally in society. He or she will document patient symptoms, make a diagnosis, and then determine the best course of action. Psychiatrists may prescribe therapy sessions, medication, or a combination of both. He or she may work in a hospital setting, a treatment facility setting, or in a private practice. Other duties may include: overseeing psychiatric staff, training staff, educating patients, handling insurance filings, keeping up to date patient records, and assessing patient progress. Psychiatrists may work with other medical professionals to design comprehensive treatment programs.
Psychiatrists must hold a Bachelor’s degree and a medical degree. He or she must also have completed an internship and residency program in the field of psychiatry. A board exam must be passed in order to obtain the required license to practice psychiatry. Board certification is strongly recommended. Other requirements vary depending on the physician’s specialty (such as child psychiatry, adolescent psychiatry, clinical psychiatry, etc.). This field is expanding with a project growth rate of about 14%.
The average salary of an experienced psychiatrist is about $173,900 per year. Individuals who open a private practice earn an average salary of about $282,500 per year.
