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Can't decide between psychiatrist or physical therapy
#psychology #psychiatry #medicine #premed #college #career #surgery #physical-therapy #counseling
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10 answers
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Ashley’s Answer
Hi Maria,
I Hope you are doing well. From the educational stand point I can give you feedback on the difference between the two.
To become a psychiatrist first you will need to attend an accredited university to obtain a bachelor's degree (typically four years). Next you will need to take the MCAT which is the entrance exam for medical school. Medical School is four years which then will lead you to choose a specialty, in this case Psychiatry, and followed by residency which is about 4 years.
To become a physical therapist you will need to attend an accredited university to obtain a bachelor's degree (typically four years), I know that you will have to complete some observation hours under a PT to gain some experience. Afterwards, you will have to take the GRE exam which is the entrance exam to apply to graduate school. You will attend graduate school for about 3 years to then receive a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.
Hope this overview helps when deciding on your professional career. Remember to always stay positive!
Cordially,
Ashley Garcia
I Hope you are doing well. From the educational stand point I can give you feedback on the difference between the two.
To become a psychiatrist first you will need to attend an accredited university to obtain a bachelor's degree (typically four years). Next you will need to take the MCAT which is the entrance exam for medical school. Medical School is four years which then will lead you to choose a specialty, in this case Psychiatry, and followed by residency which is about 4 years.
To become a physical therapist you will need to attend an accredited university to obtain a bachelor's degree (typically four years), I know that you will have to complete some observation hours under a PT to gain some experience. Afterwards, you will have to take the GRE exam which is the entrance exam to apply to graduate school. You will attend graduate school for about 3 years to then receive a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.
Hope this overview helps when deciding on your professional career. Remember to always stay positive!
Cordially,
Ashley Garcia
Thank you so much! This was very helpful! Stay Safe!
Maria
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
Psychiatry and physical therapy require vastly different training paths.
Psychiatry is a great field requiring a medical doctorate. This means that you will have to complete college with a bachelor’s degree as well as all of the Pre-med requirements (1 year biology, 1 year inorganic chemistry, 1 year organic chemistry + labs, physics, calculus, and biochemistry). GPA should probably be 3.5 or better (preferably >3.8). You will also have to score well on the MCAT. Once accepted to medical school, as long as you pass your classes and perform reasonably well during your four years of medical training, you can apply for a psychiatry 4 year residency.
Physical therapists are required to have a bachelor's degree with training in PT. This is also a great field, but much less academically rigorous.
Psychiatry is a great field requiring a medical doctorate. This means that you will have to complete college with a bachelor’s degree as well as all of the Pre-med requirements (1 year biology, 1 year inorganic chemistry, 1 year organic chemistry + labs, physics, calculus, and biochemistry). GPA should probably be 3.5 or better (preferably >3.8). You will also have to score well on the MCAT. Once accepted to medical school, as long as you pass your classes and perform reasonably well during your four years of medical training, you can apply for a psychiatry 4 year residency.
Physical therapists are required to have a bachelor's degree with training in PT. This is also a great field, but much less academically rigorous.
Updated
Suzanne’s Answer
Hi Maria.
Ashley gave you a wealth of information on the path to each. Although I'm in neither field, I know people in each, and have a few observations to add.
Physical therapists, by definition, are very hands-on with their clients. Obviously there are pluses and minuses to that. What kind of environment do you want to work in all day? Something resembling a gym or a clinic, where you are helping people to move? A good physical therapist is really good at determining what's affecting their client's physical well-being/pain/strength/mobility/etc, and also figuring out how to improve it.
Psychiatrists, by contrast, are about as hands-off as it gets. Some choose the profession precisely because they are not interested in the physical aspects of taking care of patients. Also, in this day and age, it seems that most psychiatrists are fairly limited in how long and intensively they interact with each patient. Their primary role is managing medication, and most leave therapy to people who don't have MDs (financially, it's expensive to receive therapy from a psychiatrist). Of course, their ability to understand what's going on mentally with a patient is key, and a good psychiatrist can bring huge relief to a patient (as can a good physical therapist, albeit a different kind of relief).
There's a great need for both. It may help to get perspective from those in the field about what the career feels like, and what are the headaches that come with each. I'm sure determining who will pay, and whether insurance etc covers the services is a key part of it.
It's great that you are considering fields where you can help people. Good luck in figuring out your next steps.
Best,
Suzanne
Ashley gave you a wealth of information on the path to each. Although I'm in neither field, I know people in each, and have a few observations to add.
Physical therapists, by definition, are very hands-on with their clients. Obviously there are pluses and minuses to that. What kind of environment do you want to work in all day? Something resembling a gym or a clinic, where you are helping people to move? A good physical therapist is really good at determining what's affecting their client's physical well-being/pain/strength/mobility/etc, and also figuring out how to improve it.
Psychiatrists, by contrast, are about as hands-off as it gets. Some choose the profession precisely because they are not interested in the physical aspects of taking care of patients. Also, in this day and age, it seems that most psychiatrists are fairly limited in how long and intensively they interact with each patient. Their primary role is managing medication, and most leave therapy to people who don't have MDs (financially, it's expensive to receive therapy from a psychiatrist). Of course, their ability to understand what's going on mentally with a patient is key, and a good psychiatrist can bring huge relief to a patient (as can a good physical therapist, albeit a different kind of relief).
There's a great need for both. It may help to get perspective from those in the field about what the career feels like, and what are the headaches that come with each. I'm sure determining who will pay, and whether insurance etc covers the services is a key part of it.
It's great that you are considering fields where you can help people. Good luck in figuring out your next steps.
Best,
Suzanne
Updated
Richard’s Answer
These are two very different career paths. Physical therapists attend a PT program after obtaining a bachelor’s degree. They work in rehabilitation for patients after surgery, trauma, or strokes
Psychiatrists have gone to college, 4 years of medical school and 4 years of residency. They treat mental illness in patients through medication and counseling.
Psychiatrists have gone to college, 4 years of medical school and 4 years of residency. They treat mental illness in patients through medication and counseling.
Updated
james’s Answer
These are two totally different areas of study. I would research and see which fits my interest best.
Updated
Karen’s Answer
There is a big difference on educational requirements. I believe for PT you can probably do this with a master's degree.
Updated
LaQuandra’s Answer
Hi Maria,
I agree with everyone else when they say that these are two different career paths. You should think about do you want to be hands (physically) or hands on (medically).
If you have decided yet on what career you think want to take, these are some informal things to think about when wanting to become a Psychiatrist.
5 Reasons to Study Psychiatry:
1. Rewarding: you can dramatically improve your patients’ lives. You can help patients who were once institutionalized indefinitely by treating them so that they can live at home (even partially), work, and have relationships with people. As a psychiatrist, you have the unique opportunity to improve the mental health of your patients and improve their quality of life. You can weigh and treat the impact of mental illness on your patients—and help them function in society.
2. Empathy: Psychiatrists feel empathetic not just at the level of understanding that their patients are suffering, but must also be able to understand how a patient understands his or her illness. It’s not just about facts, knowledge, tests, and treatment. It’s about connection—human and scientific.
3. Utility: Psychiatry is useful for any medical specialty. All doctors need to be able to develop those positive relationships so that they can treat their patients. Rare is the patient who hates their physician, but goes to them anyway. Understanding who your patients are, where they’re coming from, and what’s important to them is often just as important as figuring out their medical treatment.
4: Great Timing: there’s a need—there are opening in clinical work, research, and leadership that all strive to make positive impacts for those who suffer from mental illnesses. There’s also tremendous research happening in neuroscience. Scientists are beginning to understand the complicated systems of our brains—and how they affect our behavior. There’s blossoming research on neurotransmitters and brain stimulation therapies. There’s also significant research on drugs, including a study on gut bacteria and its role in stress, inflammation, and mood.
5. Work-life Balance: You’re generally on-call less, and you can shape your schedule to meet your family’s needs. The field’s flexibility is one reason so many psychiatrists are drawn to it—it’s easy to practice the work-life balance that you help to create for so many of your patients. If catering to family life isn’t on your list, psychiatry also offers tremendous opportunity to travel and work.
https://www.healthcarestudies.com/article/5-Reasons-to-Study-Psychiatry/
https://www.healthcarestudies.com/Bachelor/Mental-Health/
I agree with everyone else when they say that these are two different career paths. You should think about do you want to be hands (physically) or hands on (medically).
If you have decided yet on what career you think want to take, these are some informal things to think about when wanting to become a Psychiatrist.
5 Reasons to Study Psychiatry:
1. Rewarding: you can dramatically improve your patients’ lives. You can help patients who were once institutionalized indefinitely by treating them so that they can live at home (even partially), work, and have relationships with people. As a psychiatrist, you have the unique opportunity to improve the mental health of your patients and improve their quality of life. You can weigh and treat the impact of mental illness on your patients—and help them function in society.
2. Empathy: Psychiatrists feel empathetic not just at the level of understanding that their patients are suffering, but must also be able to understand how a patient understands his or her illness. It’s not just about facts, knowledge, tests, and treatment. It’s about connection—human and scientific.
3. Utility: Psychiatry is useful for any medical specialty. All doctors need to be able to develop those positive relationships so that they can treat their patients. Rare is the patient who hates their physician, but goes to them anyway. Understanding who your patients are, where they’re coming from, and what’s important to them is often just as important as figuring out their medical treatment.
4: Great Timing: there’s a need—there are opening in clinical work, research, and leadership that all strive to make positive impacts for those who suffer from mental illnesses. There’s also tremendous research happening in neuroscience. Scientists are beginning to understand the complicated systems of our brains—and how they affect our behavior. There’s blossoming research on neurotransmitters and brain stimulation therapies. There’s also significant research on drugs, including a study on gut bacteria and its role in stress, inflammation, and mood.
5. Work-life Balance: You’re generally on-call less, and you can shape your schedule to meet your family’s needs. The field’s flexibility is one reason so many psychiatrists are drawn to it—it’s easy to practice the work-life balance that you help to create for so many of your patients. If catering to family life isn’t on your list, psychiatry also offers tremendous opportunity to travel and work.
https://www.healthcarestudies.com/article/5-Reasons-to-Study-Psychiatry/
https://www.healthcarestudies.com/Bachelor/Mental-Health/
Updated
Estelle’s Answer
My niece is a psychiatrist and she loves her job. There is a huge need for mental healthcare workers in the United States. You will always have a job.
Updated
Teresa’s Answer
While Psychiatrists treat struggles that involve unbalances in the brain, physical therapist would tackle struggles with the body. In both cases I feel they can very fulfilling careers. In both causes I feel compassion and patience would be required as a personal skill outside of college courses. I hope this information is helpful!
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Tom’s Answer
I've been to both. Totally agree with Suzanne!! Physciatrists are literally only pill pushers these days. In and out in 12-15 minutes. I'd guess you'd be far happier actually helping patient get results and getting positive feedback from something that works more often than not.
Thanks! This is a good insight for the future.
Maria