3 answers
Heaven
Student
3
Questions
Asked
482 views
What are the drawbacks of being a Psychiatrist?
I'm looking into becoming a Psychiatrist and was wondering what the drawbacks are.
Login to comment
3 answers
Michel Davis
Medical student
171
Answers
Cranston, Rhode Island
Updated
Michel’s Answer
Medical school is a long road. It takes around 12 years of education after high school to become a psychiatrist and that is if all things go well. This is hard for a lot of people, and understanding that even when you finish you will continue learning and discovering new things about psychiatry. This is a big time commitment that not a lot of people are ready to commit to. The job can be stressful dealing with chronic health problems in any field of medicine has its rewards and down sides. I think some of the beautiful aspects are discovering a lot about yourself during the process also. A lot of people go into medical school with a good of idea of what they want to do and that changes over the years because there is just so many interesting pathways you can take. Being in psychiatry can be hard, but it is also vastly rewarding for people.
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1180
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Heaven !
Being a psychiatrist can be a stable and rewarding career, but it is always smart to get insight into the downside of any career when considering dedicating your future to it.
One of the drawbacks is that many of your patients that you will be responsible for in your work have chronic, incurable illnesses and you will not be able to go outside of your APA guidelines to help them. Alternatives are not allowed so you will get feelings around seeing your patients not achieving wellness. To say the least, it's sad.
Another challenge is that there are some patients that are difficult to diagnose.
Other things that come to mind is your debt after graduating medical school. The cost of undergraduate plus medical school is very high, too and you'd have to find a way to finance the high cost of college/medical school as well as pay back any loans . Although Psychiatrists traditionally are well paid, they are known to be the lowest paid type of doctor. Specialization in this field requires additional training with an additional cost.
Psychiatry is one of those jobs that has a high level of stress that can lead to vicarious trauma, stress, and at some point you might want to change careers. That happens to some, but not all. It can happen in any behavioral health field of work.
Ah, yes, last but not least, unfortunately you will have to buy malpractice insurance every year because psychiatrists do get sued. I had an uncle who was a doctor and his wife went into medicine too. When she was ready to practice as a doctor, he told her, "You will get sued". So, it basically comes with the territory and it doesn't happen everyday or every week or every year, but it happens and you should be aware and take the measures that will cover you if or when it happens.
That's just about all I can think of now, but do realize that there are vulnerabilities and down sides to every career and most fields of work. The ones for Psychiatry are important to consider in order to make an informed decision.
Being a psychiatrist can be a stable and rewarding career, but it is always smart to get insight into the downside of any career when considering dedicating your future to it.
One of the drawbacks is that many of your patients that you will be responsible for in your work have chronic, incurable illnesses and you will not be able to go outside of your APA guidelines to help them. Alternatives are not allowed so you will get feelings around seeing your patients not achieving wellness. To say the least, it's sad.
Another challenge is that there are some patients that are difficult to diagnose.
Other things that come to mind is your debt after graduating medical school. The cost of undergraduate plus medical school is very high, too and you'd have to find a way to finance the high cost of college/medical school as well as pay back any loans . Although Psychiatrists traditionally are well paid, they are known to be the lowest paid type of doctor. Specialization in this field requires additional training with an additional cost.
Psychiatry is one of those jobs that has a high level of stress that can lead to vicarious trauma, stress, and at some point you might want to change careers. That happens to some, but not all. It can happen in any behavioral health field of work.
Ah, yes, last but not least, unfortunately you will have to buy malpractice insurance every year because psychiatrists do get sued. I had an uncle who was a doctor and his wife went into medicine too. When she was ready to practice as a doctor, he told her, "You will get sued". So, it basically comes with the territory and it doesn't happen everyday or every week or every year, but it happens and you should be aware and take the measures that will cover you if or when it happens.
That's just about all I can think of now, but do realize that there are vulnerabilities and down sides to every career and most fields of work. The ones for Psychiatry are important to consider in order to make an informed decision.
Houcine Lakhchach
Career Development Specialist | U.S Department exchange Alumnus | EFL/ESL trainer | Program manager
139
Answers
Kenitra, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco
Updated
Houcine’s Answer
Hello Heaven,
Exploring a career as a Psychiatrist is commendable, and like any profession, it comes with its challenges. Here are some potential drawbacks to consider:
Becoming a Psychiatrist involves a significant amount of education and training. It typically includes four years of medical school, followed by residency and potentially fellowship training.
Dealing with patients' mental health issues can be emotionally draining. You may encounter challenging and distressing situations, which requires resilience and emotional fortitude.
Paperwork, documentation, and administrative tasks can be time-consuming. Balancing clinical work with administrative responsibilities is a common challenge.
Unlike other medical fields, patient compliance with treatment plans can be challenging in psychiatry. Patients may struggle with adherence to medications or therapy.
The responsibility of making crucial decisions about patients' mental well-being can be stressful. It requires a high level of accountability and can be emotionally weighty.
Balancing work and personal life can be demanding, especially during periods of high patient caseloads or emergencies.
Despite these challenges, many psychiatrists find the profession incredibly rewarding, contributing significantly to the mental health and well-being of their patients.
Warm regards,
Houcine
Exploring a career as a Psychiatrist is commendable, and like any profession, it comes with its challenges. Here are some potential drawbacks to consider:
Becoming a Psychiatrist involves a significant amount of education and training. It typically includes four years of medical school, followed by residency and potentially fellowship training.
Dealing with patients' mental health issues can be emotionally draining. You may encounter challenging and distressing situations, which requires resilience and emotional fortitude.
Paperwork, documentation, and administrative tasks can be time-consuming. Balancing clinical work with administrative responsibilities is a common challenge.
Unlike other medical fields, patient compliance with treatment plans can be challenging in psychiatry. Patients may struggle with adherence to medications or therapy.
The responsibility of making crucial decisions about patients' mental well-being can be stressful. It requires a high level of accountability and can be emotionally weighty.
Balancing work and personal life can be demanding, especially during periods of high patient caseloads or emergencies.
Despite these challenges, many psychiatrists find the profession incredibly rewarding, contributing significantly to the mental health and well-being of their patients.
Warm regards,
Houcine