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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:

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

Harvard University

Columbia University

Stanford University

John Hopkins University

Career options

After obtaining an advanced degree in psychiatry, students can look for job opportunities in the following fields:

Schools Offering Degree Programs for MD/PhD in Psychiatry




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