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Psychiatry


Psychiatry

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of the mind and mental disease.

How to become a Psychiatrist

A person desiring to become a psychiatrist is obliged to complete high school and college before entering medical school. Medical students follow a standard curriculum, with only a few opportunities for selection. In addition to chemistry, biochemistry and physiology, students receive courses in psychiatry, behavioural science, and neuroscience in the first two years of medical school. In the last two years, students are delegated to medical specialty "clerkships," where they study and work with doctors in diverse medical specialties.

Nature of the work

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who focus in the problems of mental illness. As doctors, they are accredited to apply a very wide variety of treatment and may write recommendations. They may help develop therapy treatment tactics and act as leaders in group therapy sessions. Psychiatric also examine patients and write reports about their behavior. Psychiatric provide nursing, psychiatric, and personal care for patients.

They encourage them to develop social relationships and to contribute in recreational activities. After patients are released from the hospital, technicians visit them at home to organize community services. This contains referring patients to agencies that can help them. Psychiatrists can work in the government, in hospitals, clinics, or universities.

Salary

Psychiatrists receive equal as pediatricians and family physicians, in which the salary ranges from $90,000 to $200,000, depending on the type of preparation, hours worked geographic location and place of work.