Psychologist Vs. Psychiatrist Jobs & Degrees
The words "psychiatrist" and "psychologist" are sometimes used interchangeably because both types of professionals provide help for those seeking emotional counseling or suffering from mental health disorders. However, both the educational requirements and the earnings for psychologists and psychiatrists vary widely, and there are many things that psychiatrists can do that psychologists cannot do.
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Identification
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Psychologists and psychiatrists treat patients with mental illnesses and also help mentally healthy patients work through emotional problems. Both have backgrounds in psychology, but psychiatrists have an additional background in medicine. This allows psychiatrists to prescribe medications to treat chemical imbalances found in the brain. Psychologists usually need to refer patients to a psychiatrist, who will prescribe psychiatric medicine. However, as of 2010, psychologists in New Mexico and Louisiana are able to prescribe psychiatric medicine after consulting with a psychiatrist.
Employment
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While psychologists can be found in most mental health industries, psychiatrists are mostly found in mental health wards. However, an increasing number of psychiatrists are entering into private practice, as psychologists are referring mentally healthy patients to psychiatrists for medications intended to help patients cope with everyday problems such as anxiety.
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Education
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Although both psychologists and psychiatrists are exposed to the mind, a psychologist earns her bachelor's degree, master's degree and even her doctorate within the psychology department of a university. At some point in the program, psychologists decide whether to pursue a more research-oriented Ph.D. or go into practice as a mental health professional by pursuing a Psy.D. Psychiatrists, on the other hand, earn their degree in medical school and receive their psychology experience by performing a four-year residency at a mental health ward. They then receive a license. For psychologists, licensing requirements vary from state to state.
Outlook
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 170,200 psychologists and 22,140 psychiatrists were employed in 2008. Between 2008 and 2018, the need for psychiatrists is expected to grow by 2.7 percent, and the need for psychologists is expected to grow by 12 percent.
Earnings
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2008, the median earnings for psychologists was $64,140 and the median earnings for psychiatrists was $154,050. The journal Psychiatric Services found that mental health professionals earn more money prescribing psychiatric drugs than they do for psychotherapy because health insurers often require that patients see cheaper mental health professionals for psychotherapy, since psychotherapy generally takes longer than prescribing psychiatric medicine.
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References
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