Is a career in psychology likely to be successful, and if so, is there a need for it in today's medical field?

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!!!

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.