I Want to Be a Psychiatrist

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Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in treating patients who are afflicted with behavioral, mental and emotional disorders. In order to become a psychiatrist, one must complete medical school and earn a medical degree and state licensing. After earning their degrees and completing residency training, psychiatrists are then able to work with patients. The salary of a psychiatrist can vary depending on in what type of institution he or she may work. With a faster than average growth of employment, opportunities to work in many facilities, and a great amount of needed education, psychiatry is a challenging, but rewarding career.
With a great amount of needed education to become a psychiatrist, one must begin preparing for this rigorous task during high school. While in high school, a student should take classes such as biology, chemistry, and psychology (770). After completing high school, it would be beneficial to then major in biology or chemistry in college, while still taking psychology classes during undergraduate studies (774). With a bachelors in one of these areas of study, the next step is to go to medical school. During a student’s second half of medical school, he or she will begin hands-on training (773). After graduating for medical school he or she will complete three or four years of residency training and then be able to take state-licensing tests in order to become a certified psychiatrist (773). After completing residency training and certification, a psychiatrist can then select a sub-specialty such as child psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, or addiction psychiatry (ExploreHealthCareers). A large amount of education is needed to become a successful doctor in the field of psychiatry.
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...ut many working environments before deciding where he or she should settle. While keeping the main goal of helping patients with emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders in mind, a psychiatrist can find the determination to complete the necessary schooling and go on to help others.

Works Cited

"29-1066.00." O*NET OnLine. National Center for O*NET Development, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .
"ExploreHealthCareers." Psychiatrist. ADEA, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .
Locsin, Aurelio. "Salary and Benefits of Psychiatrists." Work. Hearst Communications, Inc., 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .
“Psychiatrists." Exploring Health Care Careers. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. N.p.: Infobase, 2006. 770-776. Print.

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