If you are considering a career in psychiatry, it is a good idea to know how to become a psychiatrist. This information can help you understand the training and commitment required. If you’re exploring how to become a psychiatrist, understanding these steps early can help you plan your education and career path effectively. Education, licensing, and career choices can also impact earning potential and lifestyle.
Key Takeaways
- The average time to become a psychiatrist is 12 years of post-secondary education and training.
- Psychiatry residency programs are most often 4 years long and consist of clinical psychiatry, neurology, and psychotherapy.
- 1–2 year psychiatry subspecialty fellowships add time to the process but can enhance career opportunities and earning potential.
- Psychiatrists require state licensure and board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN).
- International medical graduates (IMGs) must meet U.S. equivalency and licensing standards through ECFMG certification and USMLE passage.
Table of Contents
Becoming a Psychiatrist
Choosing psychiatry as a career allows you to explore the crossroads between medicine, neuroscience, and human connection. Psychiatristsare in a unique position to meet the increasing demand for mental health services across the country. If you are passionate about this field, learning how to become a psychiatrist can help you take the right first steps toward that goal.
Step 1: Earning a Bachelor’s Degree
The first step in how to become a psychiatrist starts with undergraduate school. A bachelor’s degree program usually takes four years. Medical schools do not have specific undergraduate major requirements for their applicants, but pre-med students typically complete prerequisite pre-medical courses in biology, chemistry, and psychology. Students should:
- Have a competitive GPA (generally > 3.5) to help increase chances of getting into medical school
- Gain experience in related areas through shadowing, volunteering in mental health, and behavioral research
High MCAT scores are also important. Admission committees review MCATs alongside academic and extracurricular experience. These academic and test requirements are an essential foundation in how to become a psychiatrist.
Step 2: Completing Medical School
After receiving their bachelor’s degree, medical school applicants complete a program that lasts four years and results in an MD or DO degree.
The first two years of medical school focus on basic sciences such as anatomy, pharmacology, and neurobiology. The second two years are clinical rotations where students practice and gain hands-on experience in different medical fields, including psychiatry, internal medicine, and neurology.
Performance in medical school, particularly during clinical rotations, also affects residency placement. Psychiatry hopefuls can also pursue research, mental health electives, and letters of recommendation from psychiatrists and neurologists. Understanding how to become a psychiatrist during medical school helps students choose experiences that strengthen their residency applications.
Step 3: Completing Psychiatry Residency Training
Doctors then complete a psychiatry residency program that lasts four years and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Training often involves:
- Year 1: Foundational rotations in internal medicine, neurology, and emergency psychiatry
- Years 2–3: Inpatient and outpatient care and consultation-liaison psychiatry
- Year 4: Leadership and research skills and training for independent practice
Residents also receive supervised training in psychotherapeutic modalities such as CBT, DBT, and psychodynamic therapy. This hands-on residency experience is one of the most critical parts of how to become a psychiatrist.
According to Medscape, psychiatry residents earn around $75,000 annually, which is on par with the national average across all specialties.
Step 4: Pursuing a Psychiatry Subspecialty Fellowship
Subspecialty fellowships are another path that psychiatrists may take to complete after residency. Psychiatry subspecialties include:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Diagnosing and treating mental health and developmental disorders in children and adolescents
- Forensic Psychiatry: Conducting patient assessments in a legal context
- Addiction Psychiatry: Substance use disorders treated with medical and behavioral interventions
- Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: Integrating psychiatry into medical and hospital practice
Fellowships last one or two years and can affect earning potential. For instance, forensic psychiatrists can earn between $232,000 and $266,000 annually, while the average psychiatrist salary is around $341,000.
Step 5: Obtaining Licensure and Board Certification
After completing residency, psychiatrists must be licensed to practice independently. Licensing and board certification are key milestones in how to become a psychiatrist. The U.S. states have their own medical licensing boards, but each requires MDs and DOs to pass the USMLE and COMLEX-USA, respectively.
Board certification through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) is optional. However, it can be advantageous for psychiatrists to use their board certification to show they are upholding the highest professional standards. Board certification can help doctors land a job and negotiate higher compensation. Psychiatrists maintain their board certification through CME and retaking recertification exams.
Step 6: Considering the Path for International Medical Graduates
International medical graduates (IMGs) who want to practice psychiatry in the United States have to complete additional steps. For instance, IMGs must:
- Earn Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification as proof of international education equivalency
- Pass USMLE Step 1–3 to qualify for U.S. residency programs
- Complete a U.S.-based psychiatry residency program from an ACGME-accredited program, even with prior international training
These steps ensure that all psychiatrists, regardless of where they trained, have met the high professional and ethical standards that U.S. practitioners are held to.
Step 7: Building a Career and Maximizing Income
Licensed psychiatrists can then choose their work setting, which can impact their compensation and lifestyle. For example, most psychiatrists in private practice earn more than those working in hospitals or in academia.
Private practice often allows physicians more autonomy over income and more flexibility, but may require more work and administrative tasks. Hospital employment often provides more job security and benefits and may involve less nonclinical administrative work.
Physicians can also take other steps to protect their financial well-being and increase their income throughout their careers. For instance, they may:
- Negotiate a fair employment contract with a lawyer or law firm specializing in physician contracts
- Protect their income with disability and life insurance policies
- Develop long-term financial strategies through investment and financial management services
Careful career planning and professional guidance can help psychiatrists achieve their financial goals and find the right balance of financial and personal fulfillment. Knowing how to become a psychiatrist and how to navigate each step strategically can help future physicians build both purpose and prosperity.
How to Become a Psychiatrist and Build a Career That’s Meaningful and Financially Rewarding
Psychiatrists have a great opportunity to combine medicine with mental health and human connection in a meaningful career. They can make a difference for one of society’s most pressing needs. They can take a strategic approach to their training and career to set themselves up for professional and financial success.
At Physicians Thrive, we understand the difficult decisions that go into building a meaningful and well-paid career as a psychiatrist or other medical professional. From contract review to long-term financial planning, we have the experience and know-how to help you address these challenges. Contact us today.
