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Should I seek an MD or Phd?

To focus on treating patients with abnormal phycological disorders (schizophrenia, DID, etc.), should I seek a PhD in Psychology or apply for medical school with a BS in Psychology?

psychology medical-school higher-education clinical-psychology psychiatry psychologist disorders
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Blanche’s Answer

Hi, Leah. The answer to your question depends upon what sort of focus you're interested in. A program of study in psychology will focus on psychological science (the social, cognitive, and physiological bases of behavior, etc.), teach you to do psychological assessment using psychological testing instruments, and ground you in psychotherapeutic approaches, as well as a basic understanding of the mechanisms of medications for treating conditions with physiological components. Medical school and a psychiatric residency will prepare you primarily to treat the physiological components and give you some basic understanding of psychotherapy. In some U.S. states licensed psychologists are eligible to do further study in order to prescribe psychiatric medications. And some psychiatrists do extra work in order to increase there psychotherapy skills. You'll probably benefit from reading about the two professions and the two courses of study, which are very different.
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Robin’s Answer

Research universities that major in psychology. I know that Indiana Wesleyan University, Indianapolis, IN has programs in this arena. I'm sure they have several online courses that you can begin to determine if this is the area you want to pursue. You can reach out to their adminissions staff to ask if there are programs at universities closer to home if you prefer. This university has a solid program there and I would recommend starting here to get some of your questions answered.
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