Last Updated: May 07, 2021
Pursuing a degree in Psychiatry
Psychiatry is a part of psychology, which includes the study of the human brain, emotions, and behavior. A psychiatrist is an individual who is trained in psychology and also has a medical degree. They've been educated to use drugs and counseling to support people with mental wellbeing, behavioral problems, and emotional well-being issues.
Since psychiatrists are trained in the administration of medicines and medications, it is their primary duty to ensure that their patients do not have a negative reaction to any medications prescribed for treatment.
Benefits of pursuing a degree in Psychiatry
There are several benefits to pursuing a degree in psychiatry. Not only is the field of psychiatry an extremely interesting one, but it is also exceptionally lucrative. Some of the benefits are listed below:
- Monetary benefit: As mentioned above, the field of psychiatry is very lucrative. The demand for psychiatrists is high, but the availability of good psychiatrists does not meet the demand. Hence, a good psychiatrist, who is well-equipped with plenty of experience, earns anywhere between $180,000 to $290,000.
- Practice makes perfect: A psychiatrist is recognized in their field only when they have a lot of experience. However, the core of practicing psychiatry involves a lot of studying new concepts and keeping up with new and upcoming research. Hence, in the profession of psychiatry, people are constantly learning and evolving their practice which makes the field an extremely interesting one.
- Keeps one occupied: Taking from the previous point, the field of psychiatry is constantly evolving and growing, all due to the constant research that is happening to unlock the mysteries of the human brain. As a result, people who enter the psychiatry field are constantly occupied by learning more about the field and also using the theory they read into practice with patients.
Undergraduate degree in Psychiatry
A Bachelor's degree in a science or pre-med area is required for students interested in psychiatry. Many medical schools prefer applicants to have a bachelor's degree in chemistry, physics, biology, humanities, or liberal arts, according to The Association of American Medical Colleges. It is important to keep in mind that a majority of universities name the undergraduate degree and the subjects undertaken as "pre-requisites" to medical school.
The pre-requisites include the above-mentioned subjects, however, every university has its own set of pre-requisite subjects. Furthermore, most universities prefer if the student has lab experience in the subjects they have undertaken during their undergraduate degree courses. Another optional requirement for medical school is for students to volunteer in the medical field while still in their undergraduate program to improve their chances of acceptance into a medical school.
Graduate degree in Psychiatry
Once students have completed their undergraduate degree in the relevant field, they can enroll in the medical school of their desired university. But before that, students must undertake the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) exam, ideally in January and before September. The majority of universities do not mention the minimum score of MCAT required, as academic excellence is expected by the university for the students applying to their medical school. However, the universities will have a minimum requirement for the undergraduate degree obtained which is a B+ grade or higher. Anything lower than that is deemed unacceptable by the university, and they might ask the student to re-take the examinations before re-applying.
Top universities for Psychiatry
Yale University
- The programs that Yale University offers come under the courses in their medical school. A student has to enroll in medical school (known as the Yale School of Medicine) at the Yale University and then choose psychiatry as their specialization.
- The entry requirements for the program include an undergraduate degree in the relevant field and the submission of MCAT scores (which must be taken before September). It is mandatory to have the following subjects during the undergraduate degree, along with lab experience in each subject - Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, General Biology, General Chemistry, and General Physics. The minimum grade requirement is a B+ or higher, anything lesser than a B+ is considered unsatisfactory by the university.
- Additionally, students must submit a transcript and at least three letters of recommendation during the application process.
- The English language proficiency scores required include a TOEFL score of 100 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every component. Other than these, Yale University also accepts the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA) with a total score of 70 and a total score of 120 or higher on the Duolingo English Test.
- The annual tuition fee for the program is $65,000.
Harvard University
- The programs that Harvard University offers come under the courses in their medical school. A student has to enroll in medical school (known as the Harvard Medical School) at Harvard University and then choose psychiatry as their specialization.
- The entry requirements for the program include an undergraduate degree in the relevant field and the submission of MCAT scores (which must be taken before September). The following subjects are mandatory to have during the undergraduate degree, along with lab experience in each subject - Biology, Behavioural Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and English. The minimum grade requirement is a B+ or higher, anything lesser than a B+ is considered unsatisfactory by the university.
- Additionally, students must submit a transcript, a personal statement, and up to six letters of recommendation during the application process.
- The English language proficiency scores required include a TOEFL score of 100 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every component. Other than these, Harvard University also accepts the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA) with a total score of 70, the Cambridge English score of 191 or higher, and a total score of 125 or higher on the Duolingo English Test.
- The annual tuition fee for the program is $65,000.
Columbia University
- The programs that Columbia University offers come under the courses in their medical school. A student has to enroll in medical school (known as the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) at Columbia University and then choose psychiatry as their specialization.
- The entry requirements for the program include an undergraduate degree in the relevant field and the submission of MCAT scores (which must be taken before September). The following subjects are mandatory to have during the undergraduate degree, along with lab experience in each subject - Biology, Physics, Chemistry (with a year in Organic Chemistry). The minimum grade requirement is a B+ or higher, anything lesser than a B+ is considered unsatisfactory by the university.
- Additionally, students must submit a transcript and at least three letters of recommendation during the application process.
- The English language proficiency scores required include a TOEFL score of 100 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every component. Other than these, Columbia University also accepts a total score of 120 or higher on the Duolingo English Test.
- The annual tuition fee for the program is $64,800.
Stanford University
- The programs that Stanford University offers come under the courses in their medical school. A student has to enroll in medical school (known as the Stanford Medical School) at the Stanford University and then choose psychiatry as their specialization.
- The entry requirements for the program include an undergraduate degree in the relevant field and the submission of MCAT scores (which must be taken before September). The minimum grade requirement is a B+ or higher, anything lesser than a B+ is considered unsatisfactory by the university.
- Additionally, students must submit a transcript, a personal statement, and at least two letters of recommendation during the application process.
- The English language proficiency scores required include a TOEFL score of 100 overall. Stanford does not accept IELTS scores, instead, students can submit their TOEFL scores or a statement that shows proof that the undergraduate study was completed with the English language as the primary medium of education.
- The annual tuition fee for the program is $62,000.
John Hopkins University
- The programs that John Hopkins offers come under the courses in their medical school. A student has to enroll in medical school (known as the John Hopkins Medical School) at the John Hopkins University and then choose psychiatry as their specialization.
- The entry requirements for the program include an undergraduate degree in the relevant field and the submission of MCAT scores (which must be taken before September). The minimum grade requirement is a B+ or higher, anything lesser than a B+ is considered unsatisfactory by the university.
- Additionally, students must submit a transcript and at least two letters of recommendation during the application process.
- The English language proficiency scores required include a TOEFL score of 100 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every component. Other than these, John Hopkins also accepts the Cambridge English score of 185 or higher and a total score of 120 or higher on the Duolingo English Test.
- The annual tuition fee for the program is $57,000.
Career options
After obtaining an advanced degree in psychiatry, students can look for job opportunities in the following fields:
- Rehabilitation Centers
- Government & Military settings
- Research
- Hospitals
- Nursing Homes
Schools Offering Degree Programs for MD/PhD in Psychiatry