Shelby
Is a career in psychology likely to be successful, and if so, is there a need for it in today's medical field?
Im consudering psychology as a backup after a career in law. Woukd like to be a psychiatrist with doctorate degree if law path doesnt work out #psychiatry #mental-health
3 answers
Charlotte Geiger
Charlotte’s Answer
You're asking a really smart and honest question — and the short answer is yes, psychology and psychiatry are both very needed today, especially in healthcare.
Here’s a quick breakdown for you:
Psychology (with a doctorate like a Ph.D. or Psy.D.) can lead to a strong career, especially in clinical psychology, counseling, health psychology, or research. Mental health needs are higher than ever, and there’s a growing demand for trained professionals across hospitals, clinics, schools, and private practice.
Psychiatry is even more in demand because psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD or DO) who can diagnose mental illnesses and prescribe medications. There’s actually a national shortage of psychiatrists, especially in underserved areas.
If you go the psychiatry route, though, you'd need to attend medical school after college — it's not just a psychology degree. Psychology could still be your major in college, but you’d also need to complete pre-med courses (like biology, chemistry, physics) to apply to med school.
Right now, the mental health field is expanding, especially because of rising awareness around depression, anxiety, trauma, and health disparities. Careers tied to mental health — therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health researchers — are expected to keep growing for the next 10–15 years and beyond.
In short:
Psychology is a strong backup.
Psychiatry (if you do med school) would put you in very high demand.
Either path would let you make a real difference in people's lives — and still allow you to tie in your interest in law if you want later (like forensic psychology or health policy).
Tamara Smith, M.S., CPLC
Tamara’s Answer
Hi Shelby,
I think both career choices are great!! When I was completing high school and deciding on what I wanted to do with my life, I originally chose law. I enrolled in a two year college to gain some credits and bring my gpa up, and ended up choosing Psychology. Psychology just came more natural for me, and I loved learning about why people do the things they do, and how they think. Also, helping someone attain that "aha" moment is absolutely priceless and makes my heart skip a beat!!
My suggestion to you is to thoroughly consider your career choices, as they both require some hefty college time. To become a Psychiatrist, you will be doing more of a medical doctor program and learning all they do in addition to the mental health side. See some links below that may be helpful in your decision making. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions or concerns.
http://work.chron.com/degrees-need-become-psychiatrist-6657.html
http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/psychiatrist/
http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/lawyer/
https://www.thebalance.com/so-you-want-to-become-a-lawyer-2164536
http://study.com/becoming_a_lawyer.html
Best of luck!!!
Dr. Ray Finn
Dr. Ray’s Answer
Dear Shelby,
I just want to add a few comments to supplement Tamara's response. Unfortunately law has become a very crowded field, with law schools turning out more graduates than there are jobs. If you have a passion for the field I would not let that stop you, but be aware that finding a job may take some patience and dedication. I know several lawyers who also have master's degrees in social work, and one of them specialized in child welfare cases, so a combination of the two skills could be useful.
Becoming a psychiatrist would mean graduating from medical school and then specializing in treating mental health problems. Almost all psychiatrists today prescribe medication and do not do "talk therapy." Psychologists (like me) graduate from a Ph.D. program and specialize in behavioral methods of treatment.
I wish you the best in sorting out your career options.
Ray Finn, Ph.D.