Psychiatrist

Overview

Who is Psychiatrist?

Psychiatrist deals with diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, behavioural and emotional disorders. After M.B.B.S an M.D. in Psychiatry is obtained and intense training is received, although brain is the centre of the specialised training, psychiatrists cannot treat the structural or organic disorders such as epilepsy or brain tumour. They have the authority to treat both the physical and mental aspects of these mental, behavioural and emotional disorders. They conduct thorough examinations, tests, create treatment plans in coordination with psychologist, social workers, prescribe medicines and evaluate improvements. 

Typical day at work

What does Psychiatrist do?

Psychiatrists assess, analyze, and treat patients with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. They lead careful mental assessments, create treatment plans, recommend medicine, and assess treatment results. Psychiatrists can work in an assortment of settings, including emergency clinics, private practices, centers, and nursing homes. Psychiatrists are required to finish broad instruction. Psychiatrists must have a therapeutic degree from an authorize restorative school, total a residency program in psychiatry, be board ensured in psychiatry, and be authorized to practice medicine in the condition of training.

• To collect adequate information regarding the patient’s condition through various sources such as history taking from the caregivers, conducting both physical and psychological tests, observations etc. and identify the pattern to make provisional diagnosis.

•  Communicate and educate the patient as well as the care giver about the medical condition of the patient

• Prescribe appropriate drugs and evaluating the reaction observed, the effectiveness, possible side effects and confirming the diagnosis.

• Co-ordinating with a broader team involving the psychologist, social workers, case workers and the nursing staff for the expertise in various aspects of the patient’s life.

• Making a treatment strategy and implementing, observing the patients adaptability to the treatment and making adjustments as required and measure progress.

• Provide assistance for the caregiver through facilitating therapy. Upon completion of the treatment course education on follow-up and practices to be followed post treatment

• Documenting the medications provided, details regarding institutionalisation, if applicable, progress made and further follow up strategy or plan.

• Communicating with social workers to provide needed assistance for the patient to soar back into the social setting functionally.

Abilities & aptitude needed

What are the skills, abilities & aptitude needed to become Psychiatrist?

Being a psychiatrist the first and foremost skill to be practised is listening skills. The patients coming for consultation may have a long history or may have developed a new situation where they don’t know how to explain it. To feel understood, the patients and their caretakers may explain the same symptom or story in various different manner. A psychiatrist must have the patience to hear them and be empathetic towards them. The patients with history would have summary charts from other hospitals, therefore the psychiatrist need good ability to understand the medical summary charts as well as good writing skills to make a report stating the history of events that has happened under his supervision.

The psychiatrist must be well trained in his academic session and be updated about the new interventions and treatments developed through research. They must be able to analyse the situation, predict which treatment or therapy would help their symptoms, how would they possibly react to the medications, all of which should be done with patient’s financial status in consideration.

The psychiatrist must be team player. No mental, behavioural, or emotional disorder could be treated by a professional alone. It requires a whole team of expertise. They should be able structure the treatment plan along with the psychologist, social worker, nursing staffs, and primary care giver. Perseverance is another key. The mental disorders are difficult to manage and often reoccur. The psychiatrist has to have the ability to work under high pressure. It is often seen that due to the high stress and relatively busy schedule, they experience burnouts too soon.

Courses

Which course I can pursue?