Studies & Degrees in Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. Psychiatrists work with people of all ages and with a wide range of problems, from addictions and anxiety to dementia and schizophrenia.
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor. That is the main difference with a psychologist, who usually holds an advanced degree in psychology and treats mental disorders with psychotherapy. A psychiatrist can conduct psychotherapy and can also prescribe medication and other medical treatments. For a student this has a practical consequence: psychiatry is not a first degree. The route is a full medical degree followed by several years of paid specialist training in hospitals and community services.
Qualifications and levels
The stages are similar everywhere, but their names and length depend on the country.
- United States. Students first take a bachelor's degree and then a medical degree, which takes four more years. After medical school and the licensing examinations comes a four-year psychiatry residency. The first year is typically spent in a hospital with patients who have a wide range of medical illnesses. According to the American Psychiatric Association, it typically takes 12 years of education after high school to become a general adult psychiatrist, and up to 14 years to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Most psychiatrists then take the voluntary board examination of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
- United Kingdom. A medical degree normally takes five years. It is followed by the two-year foundation programme, three years of core psychiatry training (CT1 to CT3), during which the MRCPsych examination is taken, and normally three years of higher training (ST4 to ST6). In higher training doctors choose child and adolescent, forensic, general adult or old age psychiatry, psychotherapy, or psychiatry of learning disabilities. Training ends with the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
- Spain. Psychiatry is a medical specialty for holders of a degree in Medicine. Since 2021 there are two specialist titles, Psiquiatría and Psiquiatría Infantil y de la Adolescencia. Each lasts at least five years, and the two share the competences of the first two years.
Besides this clinical route, universities offer master's degrees, doctorates and short courses in mental health research and in specific treatments. These are open to psychologists, nurses and other graduates as well, but they do not make the holder a psychiatrist.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 32 active schools for psychiatry. Eight are in the United States, three in Spain and three in the United Kingdom, and Canada, Russia, Ukraine and Ireland have two each. The rest are spread over countries such as China, Peru and Azerbaijan.
Most of them are universities with a medical school, where psychiatry is taught inside the medical degree and continued in residency or research programmes. Stanford University has an ACGME-accredited psychiatry residency. In London, the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience of King's College London describes itself as the largest centre for mental health and neuroscience research in the United Kingdom. At University College Cork, the Department of Psychiatry teaches medical students and conducts research. The list also includes Yale University, Queen's University and the University of Calgary in Canada, Trinity College Dublin, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and medical universities in Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don and Chernivtsi. In Spain it includes two private psychology centres that train professionals, Cinteco in Madrid and the Centro de Psicología Aaron Beck in Granada.
Medicine is taught in the language of the country, and clinical training requires speaking with patients in that language. Specialist training is also tied to each country's licensing system. Before choosing a medical school abroad, check with the health authority of the country where you want to practise whether the degree gives access to specialist training there.
Careers
Psychiatrists work in hospitals, community mental health services, emergency departments, prisons, universities and private practice. According to the American Psychiatric Association, about half of the psychiatrists in the United States maintain a private practice, and many work in more than one setting.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of physicians and surgeons as a whole, a group that includes psychiatrists, to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialised in psychiatry and can prescribe medication. A psychologist has a degree in psychology, usually an advanced one, and treats mental disorders with psychotherapy.
How long does it take to become a psychiatrist?
It depends on the country. In the United States it typically takes 12 years of education after high school. In the United Kingdom the medical degree normally takes five years, followed by two years of foundation training and about six years of psychiatry training. In Spain the specialty lasts at least five years after the degree in Medicine.
Can I study psychiatry as a bachelor's degree?
No. Psychiatry is a medical specialty, so the first step is a medical degree. Students who do not want to study medicine can look at psychology, mental health nursing or psychotherapy instead.
Can I train as a psychiatrist in a country other than the one where I studied medicine?
Often yes, but each country decides which medical degrees it accepts and how doctors enter specialist training. Ask the health authority or medical regulator of the country where you want to train before you enrol.