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sophie
Student
Plymouth, New Hampshire
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What do you need to major in to become a psychiatrist?
I've wanted to become a psychiatrist for a while now but I don't know how I would start. Would it be something like premed?
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Fred Rosenberger
Data Analyst
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St. Louis, MO
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Fred’s Answer
A psychiatrist is a type of M.D. So after undergraduate, you would then go to med school and residencies. There is no such major as "pre-med". You can BE pre-med, and then you choose a major. Generally, pre-med students major in hard sciences like biology or chemistry, but you can major in anything. If you are going towards psychiatry, then psychology may be a good option for a major.
I'd suggest you talk to your high school counselor. It's their job to help advise you.
I'd suggest you talk to your high school counselor. It's their job to help advise you.
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Sophie !
I hope that I can advise you on this wonderful career choice which will open up new awareness and exciting opportunities in your future !
To begin with, strive for excellent grades in high school and take as many human sciences that your school offers, especially psychology on a high school level. Maintain good grades for your GPA. Than it is time to look into college where you will take courses in psychology, biology, chemistry, sociology and physics. I would highly recommend getting your Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Psychology. Once you have your Bachelors degree or soon before, you will take the medical college entrance exam called the MCAT. You take this exam before applying for medical school.
The next step is enrolling in medical school which is four years. After two years of medical school, you will take your first Board Exam . During your last two years, you will do clinical rotations which means working in a hospital under supervision. Once you finish medical school, you are officially a medical doctor but will practice under supervision and will begin a Residency. During the first year of residency, you take an exam and you take your board exam for psychiatry towards the end of your residency. Although Fellowships are not required for Licensing, you can choose to continue more intensive study by applying for a fellowship. Most fellowships last a year. So this is about a twelve year course of study. That's basically how it goes.
I would advise reading the New Hampshire Psychiatric Society's website for which I have left a link below. This can give you a lot of information about your academics and future career. You may also want to network in your local area at some clinics or hospitals and speak with an administrator for information at their behavioral health units.
What you could do now is read and watch various material about the brain and human behavior. Become familiar with the American Board of Psychiatry's website for which I've provided a link for you below. Explore videos on You Tube about human behavior and the brain. This way you will have extra information in addition to what you're learning in high school right now.
I wish you all the best on this most exciting journey !
NEW HAMPSHIRE PSYCHIATRIC SOCIETY https://www.nhpsych.org/
PSYCHIATRY BOARD https://www.abms.org/board/american-board-of-psychiatry-neurology/
I hope that I can advise you on this wonderful career choice which will open up new awareness and exciting opportunities in your future !
To begin with, strive for excellent grades in high school and take as many human sciences that your school offers, especially psychology on a high school level. Maintain good grades for your GPA. Than it is time to look into college where you will take courses in psychology, biology, chemistry, sociology and physics. I would highly recommend getting your Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Psychology. Once you have your Bachelors degree or soon before, you will take the medical college entrance exam called the MCAT. You take this exam before applying for medical school.
The next step is enrolling in medical school which is four years. After two years of medical school, you will take your first Board Exam . During your last two years, you will do clinical rotations which means working in a hospital under supervision. Once you finish medical school, you are officially a medical doctor but will practice under supervision and will begin a Residency. During the first year of residency, you take an exam and you take your board exam for psychiatry towards the end of your residency. Although Fellowships are not required for Licensing, you can choose to continue more intensive study by applying for a fellowship. Most fellowships last a year. So this is about a twelve year course of study. That's basically how it goes.
I would advise reading the New Hampshire Psychiatric Society's website for which I have left a link below. This can give you a lot of information about your academics and future career. You may also want to network in your local area at some clinics or hospitals and speak with an administrator for information at their behavioral health units.
What you could do now is read and watch various material about the brain and human behavior. Become familiar with the American Board of Psychiatry's website for which I've provided a link for you below. Explore videos on You Tube about human behavior and the brain. This way you will have extra information in addition to what you're learning in high school right now.
I wish you all the best on this most exciting journey !
Michelle recommends the following next steps: