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Who is a Psychiatrist?
Psychiatry is the art of teaching people how to stand on their own feet while reclining on couches ~ Anonymous
An Individual in psychiatry as a career in India are also known as doctors who specialize in mental health which also includes substance use disorders. A Psychiatrist is a medical professional with a specialization in mental health, which includes issues with substance use. The mental and physical components of psychological issues can be evaluated by a psychiatrist. There are numerous reasons why people search for mental assistance. A career as a Psychiatrist is required work in either a hospital setting or he or she can also work in a personalized clinic.
Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India are doctors, unlike psychologists, and must assess patients to decide if their symptoms are the consequence of physical sickness, a mix of physical and mental illness, or if is it only mental. Here in this article, we will be discussing how to become a psychiatrist, the psychiatrist salary in India, the psychiatrist vacancy, and psychiatrist eligibilty after 12th.

Psychiatrist in a Nutshell
Individuals with a psychiatric career work in nursing homes, hospitals, health centres, polyclinics, medical colleges, and research institutions. Therapists recommend medication, and may likewise utilize psychotherapy. Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India have wide preparation in a bio-psycho-social way to assess as well as manage mental illness. A specialist generally fills in as the clinical pioneer of the multi-disciplinary group, which may involve psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and nursing staff.
Quick Facts for Psychiatrist
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Industry
Healthcare
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Average Salary in India
₹35000
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Suitable for
Male, Female
Individuals can take up a psychiatrist career, it is not gender-specific. Men, women, and others can choose a career as a psychiatrist. An individual of any gender type can become a psychiatrist. This profession is suitable for all gender types. Being a psychiatrist is one of the most sought-after professions where the gender of the individual is insignificant.
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Any special needs
Yes
Everyone, including those with physical disabilities, is appropriate for individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist. A career as a psychiatrist is well suited to everyone, even those with special needs. When it comes to the job it is better to be physically fit for a better and more efficient way of working. However, there is no hard and fast rule that it is compulsory to be physically fit. As long as the disability does not come in the way of one’s work they are good to go for this field.
Table of Contents for Psychiatrist
What is the role of Psychiatrist?
An Individual who opts for a career as a psychiatrist assesses mental and physical symptoms. As part of his or her work, a psychiatrist can provide urgent care for a sudden mental illness. As a component of the clinical evaluation process, a psychiatrist may utilize a psychological status assessment, a physical assessment, or brain imaging, for example, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) scan and blood testing. Here in this article, we will be providing you with how to become a psychiatrist after 12th.
Evaluate
Individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist must have the ability to analyze as well as evaluate patients’ data and test in order to diagnose the nature and extent of mental disorders. Having the capability to evaluate is important in the profession of a psychiatrist as he or she is required to make several judgments with respect to the patient's treatment.
Psychotherapeutic treatments
Individuals who opt for a career as psychiatrists use psychotherapeutic treatments in order to prescribe, direct, as well as administer treatments or medications to treat mental, emotional, and or behavioural disorders. This treatment is important in order to take the patient in confidence so that the psychiatrist can take measures to heal the patient.
Collaboration
There are several cases that psychiatrists deal with and many or a few of them may require him or her to collaborate with other physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals in order to discuss the current treatment plans and progress of the patient. Individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist may take suggestions from their end in order to help the patient recover sooner.
Gather patient information
The role of a psychiatrist is to deal with mental problems that are not visible from the eyes, he or she cannot put a bandage on a wound to heal it. Individuals who opt for a career as psychiatrists need to gather and maintain patient information and records, including social and medical history obtained from patients, relatives, and other professionals for the patient’s speedy recovery.
Design treatment plans
Individuals who opt for a career as psychiatrist deal with the mental issues of a patient. Every mind works differently, therefore, a psychiatrist must design individualized care plans, using a variety of treatment methods for the speedy recovery of the patient.
Examining
In order to treat a patient, a psychiatrist needs to conduct several examinations so that he or she can diagnose the actual problem that the patient is dealing with. And according to the result of the examination, several treatment methods are used for the patient’s recovery.
Advisory
Not everyone understands the level or the degree of the problem a psychiatric patient is going through simply because the wounds are not visible. Therefore, a psychiatrist advises and informs guardians, relatives, and significant others of patients' conditions and treatment and he or she also makes them understand how to take sensitive care of the patient.
Review
For better results, a psychiatrist reviews and evaluates treatment procedures and outcomes of other psychiatrists and medical professionals that have been conducted on the patient in order to have a better understanding of his or her problems.
Research work
A psychiatrist's work includes a lot of research as not every aspect of mental illness has been covered so far. Therefore a psychiatrist conducts research and publishes findings to increase understanding of mental, emotional, and behavioural states and disorders.
Types of a Psychiatrist
In this section, we have discussed all the types of a psychiatrist and the careers related to them.
Geriatric Psychiatry: A geriatric psychiatrist is also known as geropsychiatry. He or she is a psychiatrist of old age. This type of child psychiatrist's job description includes conducting tests and taking measures in order to treat the mental illness of people due to old age. According to research, a geriatric psychiatrist is comparatively in more demand in a developing nation than in any other nation.
Psychosomatic Medicine: It is a treatment process in which the mind and the body of the patient are cured. Mental illness not just affects the patient’s mental emotions but also affects his or her physical structure. It aims at finding relations between the patient’s social, psychological, as well as behavioural factors.
Addiction Psychiatry: It is a specialized branch of psychiatry wherein a patient who is dealing with any sort of addiction which may be more than one in number is evaluated, diagnosed, and then treated. The addiction can be to something that seems as harmless as food and as harmful as illegal drugs.
Forensic Psychiatry: A forensic psychiatrist specializes in this branch of psychology in order to deal with criminology. A forensic psychiatrist interfaces the field of law as well as medicine. A Psychiatrist career required treating criminals who are in prison.
Clinical Neurophysiology: A clinical neurophysiologist uses a computer, electrical, magnetism, and electronic methods for researching and recording the capacity of the cerebrum, the spinal cord, spinal roots, the peripheral nerves, and muscle to analyze the disorders of the nervous or the sensory system. Clinical neurophysiologist treats several conditions, for example, epilepsy.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A child psychiatrist is a specialist who evaluates, diagnoses as well as carries out treatments in order to help them cope with mental illness. This type of child psychiatrist job description includes dealing with a number of problems like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and several other problems.
Clinical Psychologist: In order to understand their physical, emotional, and behavioural challenges, clinical psychologists consult with clients. Any existing or potential problems may be identified by the psychologist through observations, interviews, and tests. Instead, along with the customer, he or she devises a rehabilitation plan according to the client's needs. A career as Psychologist periodically requires monitoring the client's progress to ensure that the course of action meets their needs and, if possible, to alter it.
What is the workplace/work environment of Psychiatrist like?
Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India work in a variety of settings, including private practices, clinics, general and psychiatric hospitals, university medical centres, community agencies, courts and prisons, nursing homes, industry, government, military settings, rehabilitation programs, emergency rooms, hospice programs, and many others.
Does Psychiatrist require travelling?
Likely
The job of a psychiatrist does not require travelling. Unless individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist want to go and attend to a patient which requires travelling. Otherwise, conventionally this job doesn’t require travelling.
Employment Shifts
Full Time, On Call, Work From Home
The job of a psychiatrist is generally a 9-5 one. But, they also work in shifts or during weekends. It depends if the psychiatrist is a solo practitioner he or she can work according to the client's requirements. Otherwise, it depends on the hospital or institution he or she is working for.
Employment Nature
Permanent
The nature of the employment of a psychiatrist is permanent. Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India are hired by hospitals on a permanent basis mostly.
Work Place
clinic
Individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist usually work in a hospital, where he or she looks after the patients' mental needs. In some cases, a psychiatrist also has his or her own setup or a clinic where he or she practices trade. Some psychiatrist are also available over the phone or might pay a visit to the patient's residence.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India are concentrated mainly in urban settings. There are very few in semi-urban settings and there is almost no presence of a psychiatrist in a rural setting.
Time Pressure
Likely
Time pressure is moderate in the case of a psychiatrist. Individuals who opt for a career as psychiatrists work on weekends as well as in the evening hours. A lot of psychiatrists also do part-time work. In a career as a psychiatrist, individuals operate approximately forty-five hours a week while psychiatrists who are self-employed work more than this per week. So the time pressure for psychiatrists is more when working independently.
Overtime Details
An individual in a psychiatrist career in India works about eight to nine hours per day and up to twelve hours when required. While several psychiatrists work independently, some individuals work for reputed companies or medical institutions as part of a team.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 48 Hours
The average psychiatrist spends more than 48 hours each week at work. Professional activities include administration, teaching, consultation, and research. Individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist spend over 60 per cent of their time with patients.
How to become a Psychiatrist?
Steps to become a Psychiatrist
In today’s world, there is a lot of stress and stress-related issues are arising among youngsters and all other age groups, affecting the mental health of people. According to the expert’s study, around 43 per cent of Indians are suffering from depression and doing suicide. The National Crime Records Bureau recorded 1.5 lakh suicide deaths in 2020. This comes due to the ignorant and lack of knowledge of where to treat this kind of illness, therefore a Psychiatrist comes into the picture to treat all of those mental health-related issues.
If you are someone who is interested in studying the psychology of people or treating people with mental illness then a career as a Psychiatrist is the right choice for you. We have mentioned below the steps for how to become a psychiatrist after 10th or how to become a psychiatrist after 12th.
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Psychiatrist?
There are several types of a psychiatrist career in India. But, to be able to grab an opportunity one must possess some skills in the career as a psychiatrist. Here, in the article, we will discuss how to become a psychiatrist in India.
Sensitivity: Individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist must be able to judge how another is responding and why the patient is responding as such. Particularly when managing patients, a psychiatrist should utilize his or her own understanding and perception to decide potential dangers and advantages. For instance, choosing whether a patient may get perilous to himself or others. Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India should be sensitive to issues, perceiving that a problem exists regardless of whether no prompt solution is clear.
Reasoning: As a psychiatrist additionally one needs to have both inductive and deductive thinking aptitudes in order to be successful in his or her career. Deductive thinking includes applying well-established realities and general standards to an issue to locate an intelligent answer. Whereas inductive thinking, on the other hand, includes joining grouped bits of information to arrive at a solution. The point when a psychiatrist takes an account of occasions that seem to have no connection to one another and consolidates them to discover a pattern, then it is applying inductive thinking.
Communication skills: Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India should be good listeners. He or she must be able to concentrate on the words, tone, and non-verbal communication utilized by others to pass on a thought or feeling. At the point when it is the ideal opportunity for the psychiatrist to talk, they should have the option to do as such so that the patient can't in any way, misunderstand what you are stating.
Individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist should likewise have the option to comprehend written notes, reports, or records with the goal that others can comprehend what he or she is trying to pass on.
Compassion: Individuals in the psychiatrist career in India are a matter of first importance to healers. Therefore, they need to be compassionate towards other people. He or she should have an understanding of the issues, difficulties, and requirements of others to be the best. In clinical practice, a psychiatrist may hear explanations that stun, outrage, or repulse them personally. But, he or she should keep up their self-restraint and discretion, remain quiet about their feelings, and should entirely focus on helping the patient.
Stress Tolerance: Working as a psychiatrist can at times be stressful. Sometimes the stresses are brief but intense, such as a patient unexpectedly becoming extremely agitated. At other times, the stresses are of a longer duration. For example, one might have to persist for many months or even years to achieve a breakthrough with a particular patient. All physicians, including psychiatrists, experience some failures, not all patients can be helped, and not all patients will remain happy with the same physician indefinitely.
Popular Online Medicine Courses and Certifications
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Psychiatrist?
We have mentioned below the certifications that individuals want to establish a career as a Psychiatrist.
Internship Availability
It is important to do a long internship in this field so as to gain practical knowledge in the psychiatrist's career. An internship provides the candidate with hands-on experience. No matter how much practical experience or exposure a college gives the individual the amount of learning that is gained by working practically in the field of expertise helps in gaining a lot of experience. It is up to the student where he or she wants to intern. Individuals who opt for a career as a psychiatrist can practice under some specialist who is a solo practitioner. He or she could also do the internship in a hospital or in a small clinic kind of setup.
Also read: Career as counsellor
Career Path Progression for Psychiatrist
Junior Psychiatrist: A Junior Psychiatrist is a professional who is responsible for evaluating and diagnosing patients and prescribing medication. A Junior Psychiatrist takes care of the patient and observes the changes in the patient.
Senior Psychiatrist: A Senior Psychiatrist is an experienced professional who is responsible for evaluating, examining, treating and prescribing medications to patients. A Senior Psychiatrist leads the team of a junior Psychiatrist and other staff members.
Psychiatrist Jobs and Salaries
Junior Psychiatrist
- Average Salary 13000
Job Description
The Junior Psychiatrist job description includes talking with patients, assists, observes, and doest test and revies their medical history. A Junior Psychiatrist diagnoses the patients and creates a treatment plans and provides medication.
Salary Description
An entry-level Psychiatrist salary in India ranges between Rs 1.0 Lakhs to Rs 10.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 1.4 Lakhs per annum. Junior Psychiatrist salary in India may vary depending on the various job factors like skills and experience of the candidates, job location, and others.
Salary Source: AmbitionBox
Senior Psychiatrist
- Average Salary 57000
Job Description
A Senior Psychiatrist job description includes examining and reviewing mental and phyiscal health, prescribes medications, monitors and reviewing treatment regularly. A Senior Psychiatrist supervises and teaches junior medical staff and researches and keeps updated with the latest technology and techniques.
Salary Description
The estimated Psychiatrist salary in India ranges from Rs 0.9 Lakhs to Rs 22.5 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 8.0 Lakhs per annum. Senior Psychiatrist salary may vary depending on the various job factors.
Salary Source: AmbitionBox
What is the job outlook for Psychiatrist?
In the psychiatrist career, there is immense growth at this point in time. The market is growing every day. Instead of joining as an assistant psychiatrist in a government or a private hospital, one also has the option to find some lucrative jobs in corporate hospitals. He or she not only pays them comparatively more but also provides a better job growth opportunity. Over the past five years the job opportunity, pay scale as well as growth in the career have all been witnessed. The psychiatrist's career outlook is positive and expected to grow in the future as well.
Frequently Asked Questions for Psychiatrist
Que. Is there a high demand for a psychiatrist?
Ans.Demand for a psychiatrist career has risen sharply in recent years and currently stands at an all-time high, according to an annual report tracking physician recruiting trends. Approximately 40 per cent of psychiatrists are likely to retire over the next five years, Singleton said, with few available to take their place.
Que. Do psychiatrists work on weekends?
Ans.Generally have a set schedule each week. Work 40 hours a week. May work on-call, which means they are available to work on short notice to handle emergencies. May work nights or weekends at hospitals and in-patient clinics.
Que. What is the role of Surgeon?
Ans.The job of a surgeon is to conduct a few minutes of minimally trespassing and uncomplicated surgeries, or trespassing and complicated surgeries that take long hours to complete. A surgeon works on a living human body, so their jobs are at high risk.
Que. What is a psychiatrist?
Ans.A psychiatrist is a medical professional or doctor who deals with the mental, emotional and behavioural conditions of people.
Que. How to become psychiatrist without MBBS?
Ans.Are you looking for how to become a psychiatrist in India without MBBS? then pursuing an MBBS is mandatory to become a Psychiatrist without MBBS you are not eligible for the Psychiatry certification in India.
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Questions related to Psychiatrist
Im currently in class 12th science and I want to become a psychiatrist in the future. can you pls tell me how long does it take to become a psychiatrist in India and is it any different from other countries like the US?
If you want to be a Psychiatrist then you need to do MBBS and after MBBS you will have to study Psychiatric Medicine in order to be a Psychiatrist. For US the progression is the same but there curriculum can be a bit different as they usually have.
I hope this answer helps. All the very best for your future endeavors!
what is the procedure of becoming an psychiatrist in India if we dont want to do any MBBS degree ?
No,passing the MBBS is a pre-requisite for being considered for a PG seat in Psychiatry. So,it means without a MBBS degree you cannot be a Psychiatrist.
But, definitely you can become a psychologist .For that you need to complete your Bachelors and Masters Degree in Psychology.And typically,you need to do an internship for couple of years.
Psychology deals with behavior of a person an psychologists can apply their finding knowledge to a lot of services.
And,after getting your degree and completing your internship you can be hired as a Clinical Psychologist or as a Counselor.Not only this,you can also be hired as an Industrial or Social Psychologist .
Hope it helps
Feel free to ask if you have any query
Thank you !!!
I want to became a psychiatrist so which courses should I pusrsue further give me the complete details
To become a psychiatrist, the qualifications you need to have and subsequently the courses you need to pursue are:
- Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery i.e MBBS
- MD in psychiatry or Diploma in psychological medicine (DPM) or DNB Psychiatry
Firstly you need to appear for NEET UG to get an MBBS seat and complete the 5 and half year course, and then pursue further courses. After attaining all the degrees, you will get a lisence to practice in all the states of India.
I hope this helps you!
Diff btw psychiatrist and psychologist
Dear Candidate,
Psychologist and psychiatrist are two entirely different jobs with a big main difference that a psychiatrist is a MBBS/MD doctor which gives them the right to prescribe medication to their patients whereas a psychologist does MA/MSc and then PhD. Thus, psychologist treat their clients with different therapies and are prohibited to prescribe medications. Both of them deal with disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, etc...irrespective of the severity of the disorder. Only the counselors deal with less severe issues like marital issues, career issues, family issues, etc.
processor to become a psychiatrist after completing 12 in science stream
Dear,
Psychiatrist are one of the high paying career choice in India right now and the scope of this field is going to grow in future. The perks in this field are great and so are the hardships to become one. After completing class 12th there is almost 7-8 years of education before you can become a certified Psychiatrist.
There are many courses available on Bachelors, Master and Doctoral level if you wish to pursue psychiatry. Here is the list of courses available after class 12th for Psychiatry-
- Bachelor Courses to become a psychiatrist: MBBS
- Diploma Courses to become a psychiatrist: Diploma in Psychiatric Medicines, Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing and Post Graduate Diploma in Psychiatry.
Hope this helps!
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