How to Become a Psychiatrist?

How to Become a Psychiatrist- To become a psychiatrist you must have completed several years of medical education. You must have students from the bio-science stream in class 12, earn an MBBS degree, and become a licensed & certified medical professional. Psychiatrists are highly qualified and expert professionals with years of experience in psychiatry. In this job profile, you must diagnose, treat and prevent mental health disorders. Daily responsibilities of a Psychiatrist include assessing students' psychological, behavioural and emotional symptoms and recommending necessary treatments. In this article, let's find out the step-by-step process of becoming a psychiatrist and more, 

How to Become a Psychiatrist in India? 

Psychiatrist careers involves several crucial steps that you must complete to become a Psychiatrist. Below is a detailed guide that you must follow to become a Psychiatrist.

Step 1: Crack 10th and 12th Board Exams

You must clear your 10th and 12th board exams from a recognised Indian board. Your scores must be at least 55% or more to be eligible for medical entrance exams in India. You must have physics, chemistry and biology as mandatory subjects in higher secondary to be eligible for further steps of becoming a Psychiatrist professional. 

Step 2: Sit for Medical Entrance Exams in India

If you want to be a verified Psychiatrist professional then you must clear medical entrance exams in India such as NEET UG and earn an MBBS degree. You can even opt for other medical entrance exams such as JIPMER EE, NIMHANS EE, AIIMS EE, SCTIMST EE and more. 

Step 3: Take Admission to an MBBS Program

After you clear the medical entrance exams, you can be admitted to the MBBS program with a specialization in Psychiatry. The course duration will be five and a half years but you must be well-versed in the field and have a good psychiatrist career. 

Step 4: Master the Psychiatry Residency Program

You must apply for a Psychiatry residency program where you get specialized training in various medical fields including the field of Psychiatry. In this program, you get an opportunity to get practical experience and gain expertise in the clinical treatment of mental health disorders. 

Step 5: Complete an Internship

The next step is to complete an internship in the field of psychiatry. It is one of the most beneficial opportunities that will allow you to work in a real-life setting and gain exposure as a professional. You can showcase your skills and knowledge in practical medical settings. 

Step 6: Get a Medical Certificate and License

You must obtain a medical certificate and license to legally be verified and practice Psychiatry in India. The board certificate is valid for 10 years and can be renewed after it expires.

Step 7: Pursue Higher Education

Lastly, you can pursue further higher education like an MS or MD degree or a diploma in Psychiatry. These programs provide in-depth knowledge of the field of  Psychiatry and will help you to expand your knowledge during your studies. 

Eligibility Criteria to Become a Psychiatrist

You must meet the eligibility criteria to become a psychiatrist stated below. 

Skills Required to Become a Psychiatrist?

There are certain definite skills required to become a Psychiatrist such as resilience, problem-solving, empathy flexibility etc. Below are the set of skills that you must have to become a Psychiatrist.

Psychiatry Specializations 2025

There are numerous specializations in the field of Psychiatry such as substance abuse therapy, child & adolescent therapy, adult psychiatry etc. You can go through the Psychiatry specializations stated below. 

• Substance Abuse Therapy
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Adult Psychiatry 
• Emergency Psychiatry 
• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Geriatric Psychiatry

Top Recruiters in Psychiatry Careers

Several bodies recruit in the field of Psychiatry such as NIMHANS, PGIMER, Antara and more. You can find the top recruiters for Psychiatry careers stated below. 

• National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)
• Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh
• Dr. Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health, Amritsar
• Institute of Behaviour and Allied Sciences, New Delhi
• Antara, Kolkata
• State Mental Health Institute, Dehradun
• World Brain Center Hospital

Psychiatry Careers: Job Responsibilities

You as a Psychiatry professional have to take multiple opportunities as a part of your job role. Below are some responsibilities that you have to meet as a professional in the field of Psychiatry. 

• Sudden Illness Treatment
• Long-Term Health Issues Management
• Individual Counselling for Families
• Secondary Opinions & Advice
• Recommendations for a Healthier Lifestyle
• Hospital Advice

Psychiatry Careers: Employment Opportunities

Psychiatry is a high-paying and rewarding career path that will allow you not only to grow professionally but also build reliable connections with patients. Below are the employment opportunities for Psychiatry aspirants. 

• Hospitals: You can work in private or government hospitals as a psychiatrist professional. Your roles would include diagnosing mental health disorders and treating them effectively. The hospitals consist of dedicated Psychiatry units and departments. 
• Rehabilitation Centres: You can even work in Rehabilitation centres as a specialist and provide treatments for mental illness to the patients. You can be a medium for patients to overcome mental health issues such as phobias & addiction. You can even teach them ways to manage their addictions and mental health. 
• Clinics: You can even have your clinic and practice privately giving one-on-one consultations to patients. Giving personalised experiences to every customer can even turn out to be financially rewarding. 
• NGOs: You can even work as a mental health professional in verified NGOs and spread the word for mental health awareness. Several organizations work on various mental health issues such as awareness campaigns and more. 

Psychiatry Careers Pay-Scale

Psychiatry professionals are one of the most highly paid professionals in the medical industry. The salary ranges between INR 9 L to INR 19 L based on their experience and expertise. Below are the salary details for the Psychiatry professionals. 

Benefits of Being a Psychiatrist

There are several benefits of being a Psychiatrist as you will get flexibility in work, growth opportunities, helpful colleagues and more. You can go through some of the benefits of being a Psychiatrist. 

• Flexible work environment: You being a Psychiatrist will get an opportunity to choose your workplace. Your workplace can be in-office remote or anywhere across the world. You can work in clinics, NGOs, hospitals or have your private practice. 
• Growth opportunities in Psychiatrists: Psychiatrist is a field that offers multiple growth or career opportunities. You can be a student mentor, be a professor or be a development coach. 
• Helping opportunities: You can help people with mental health illness issues by being a Psychiatrist. It allows you to connect with several people and give mental health advice. 
• High-earning prospects: A psychiatrist's basic salary is INR 9 L per annum and it increases with time in India. Therefore, it is one of the most high-paying professions in the country. 

Therefore, you have to put in a lot of hard work, determination and effort during your studies to be a Psychiatrist. You can have multiple expertise by pursuing higher education in other specializations. By taking the right step at the right time you can become one of the best Psychiatrists in the country. 

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