4 answers
Alexis
Student
Rochester, New York
1
Question
Updated
578 views
What made you choose psychology or psychiatry over the other ?
I’m planning to start college next year at the age of 28 to become a child psychiatrist or psychologist after working in childcare with children who had high trauma for three years. Was curious on how you stuck out the long education? How hard was it to afford financially? Also, how do you handle your mental health while also handling others? I struggle with my own battles and wanted to know how possible it would be for someone who has a diagnoses to also provide therapy and medication for others? Can you also give me pros and cons for each job? I did use chat gpt for advice, but I still need a professional opinion because I have to know if I’m pre-med or not. Overall my question is, does the additional investment in becoming a psychiatrist produce a sufficiently better financial return?
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4 answers
ANTHONY SYLVESTER
School counselor
33
Answers
Onitsha, Anambra, Nigeria
Updated
ANTHONY’s Answer
Both careers help children with mental health, but in different ways. Child psychologists mainly provide therapy and psychological assessments, while child psychiatrists are medical doctors who can diagnose mental illnesses and prescribe medication.
Having your own mental health diagnosis doesn't stop you from becoming a great mental health professional, as long as it's well managed and you prioritize your own wellbeing.
Psychiatry usually offers a higher salary and job security, but it requires many more years of education, medical school, and greater financial investment. Psychology takes less time and cost, focuses more on therapy, and may be a better fit if you're passionate about helping children heal through counseling.
The best choice depends on whether you're more interested in medicine and prescribing medications or in providing therapy and psychological support.
Having your own mental health diagnosis doesn't stop you from becoming a great mental health professional, as long as it's well managed and you prioritize your own wellbeing.
Psychiatry usually offers a higher salary and job security, but it requires many more years of education, medical school, and greater financial investment. Psychology takes less time and cost, focuses more on therapy, and may be a better fit if you're passionate about helping children heal through counseling.
The best choice depends on whether you're more interested in medicine and prescribing medications or in providing therapy and psychological support.
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1425
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Alexis,
First, I want to reassure you that 28 is not too late to begin this journey. Many people enter psychology or psychiatry after gaining life and work experience, and your background supporting children who have experienced trauma is a real strength.
The biggest difference is that a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medication, while a psychologist primarily provides therapy, assessments, and behavioral interventions. Psychiatry usually involves a longer, more demanding, and more expensive training path, but it also tends to offer higher earning potential.
If you're drawn to medicine, biology, and treating mental health conditions from both a medical and therapeutic perspective, psychiatry may be worth the investment. If your passion is understanding behavior, building therapeutic relationships, and helping children heal through counseling, psychology may be a better fit.
Regarding your own mental health, having a diagnosis does not prevent you from becoming an effective mental health professional. Many psychologists and psychiatrists have faced their own challenges. What matters is that you're managing your well-being, maintaining healthy boundaries, and seeking support when needed.
Based on what you've shared, I'd encourage you to ask yourself one question: Are you more excited by becoming a physician or by becoming a therapist? Your answer will likely point you toward the path that's the best fit. Your experience in childcare has already given you a meaningful foundation for either career.
Best wishes!
First, I want to reassure you that 28 is not too late to begin this journey. Many people enter psychology or psychiatry after gaining life and work experience, and your background supporting children who have experienced trauma is a real strength.
The biggest difference is that a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medication, while a psychologist primarily provides therapy, assessments, and behavioral interventions. Psychiatry usually involves a longer, more demanding, and more expensive training path, but it also tends to offer higher earning potential.
If you're drawn to medicine, biology, and treating mental health conditions from both a medical and therapeutic perspective, psychiatry may be worth the investment. If your passion is understanding behavior, building therapeutic relationships, and helping children heal through counseling, psychology may be a better fit.
Regarding your own mental health, having a diagnosis does not prevent you from becoming an effective mental health professional. Many psychologists and psychiatrists have faced their own challenges. What matters is that you're managing your well-being, maintaining healthy boundaries, and seeking support when needed.
Based on what you've shared, I'd encourage you to ask yourself one question: Are you more excited by becoming a physician or by becoming a therapist? Your answer will likely point you toward the path that's the best fit. Your experience in childcare has already given you a meaningful foundation for either career.
Best wishes!
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach, Mentor
1232
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Alexis,
It's great that your experience working with kids with trauma experiences lead you to a desire to further your education in the mental health field.
The fundamental practical difference between psychiatry and psychology is that psychiatrists are medical doctors and prescribe medication to patients while psychologists use some form of talk therapy to help patients. Part of your decision for one or the other might come down to your own philosophy about medicating patients, especially children, vs therapy approaches.
Another factor would be the length and cost of education for each path. If you want to become a psychiatrist, you'll have 4 years for your undergraduate degree, 4 years of medical school plus 4 years of psychiatry residency plus possibly a fellowship in child psychology or another specialization. If you want to be a clinical psychologist, you are looking at 4 years for your undergraduate degree, 2 years for a masters, 4 to 7 years in a doctoral program plus a supervised internship.
If you are not sure which path to chose, you could get your bachelors in psychology, take the pre-requisites for medical school as well and decide during your studies or after graduation if you want to apply to med school or to graduate school in psychology. It's more effort, but you'd keep your options open and have an excellent basis for your professional life.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
It's great that your experience working with kids with trauma experiences lead you to a desire to further your education in the mental health field.
The fundamental practical difference between psychiatry and psychology is that psychiatrists are medical doctors and prescribe medication to patients while psychologists use some form of talk therapy to help patients. Part of your decision for one or the other might come down to your own philosophy about medicating patients, especially children, vs therapy approaches.
Another factor would be the length and cost of education for each path. If you want to become a psychiatrist, you'll have 4 years for your undergraduate degree, 4 years of medical school plus 4 years of psychiatry residency plus possibly a fellowship in child psychology or another specialization. If you want to be a clinical psychologist, you are looking at 4 years for your undergraduate degree, 2 years for a masters, 4 to 7 years in a doctoral program plus a supervised internship.
If you are not sure which path to chose, you could get your bachelors in psychology, take the pre-requisites for medical school as well and decide during your studies or after graduation if you want to apply to med school or to graduate school in psychology. It's more effort, but you'd keep your options open and have an excellent basis for your professional life.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Emily Proano
Medical assistant
45
Answers
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Updated
Emily’s Answer
Hi Alexis! First, I think it’s great that you’re asking these questions before committing to either path. Both psychology and psychiatry can be incredibly rewarding careers, but they involve very different training and day-to-day work. If you’re most interested in providing therapy, conducting psychological assessments, and helping patients through counseling, psychology may be a better fit. If you’re interested in the medical side of mental health, including diagnosing conditions, prescribing medication, and understanding how physical and mental health interact, psychiatry might be the better choice, but it also requires medical school and residency, making it a much longer and more expensive path. Financially, psychiatrists generally earn significantly more, but they also invest more time and money into their education. As for your own mental health, many excellent psychologists and psychiatrists have personal experiences with mental health challenges. What’s most important is having those challenges well managed and maintaining healthy boundaries so you can care for yourself while caring for others. Since you’re still deciding, I would recommend shadowing both a psychologist and a psychiatrist if possible. Seeing what their work is actually like each day will likely give you a much clearer idea of which path fits your interests and goals best. I wish you the best as you explore your options