All careers

Psychiatrists

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

Diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders.

What you’d do

  • Prescribe, direct, or administer psychotherapeutic treatments or medications to treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
  • Gather and maintain patient information and records, including social or medical history obtained from patients, relatives, or other professionals.
  • Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals to discuss treatment plans and progress.
  • Counsel outpatients or other patients during office visits.
  • Analyze and evaluate patient data or test findings to diagnose nature or extent of mental disorder.
  • Examine or conduct laboratory or diagnostic tests on patients to provide information on general physical condition or mental disorder.
  • Design individualized care plans, using a variety of treatments.
  • Advise or inform guardians, relatives, or significant others of patients' conditions or treatment.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Monitoring

How to get there

Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

Also called

  • Adult Psychiatrist
  • Attending Psychiatrist
  • Child Psychiatrist
  • Medical Doctor (MD)
  • Adolescent Psychiatrist
  • Board Certified Psychiatrist

Related careers

See all careers

  • Pediatricians, General

    Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment…

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Neurologists

    • Bright Outlook
    • Rapid Growth

    Diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, with a primarily nonsurgical focus.

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses

    • Bright Outlook
    • Rapid Growth
    • Numerous Job Openings

    Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders.

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Family Medicine Physicians

    Diagnose, treat, and provide preventive care to individuals and families across the lifespan.

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • General Internal Medicine Physicians

    Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems.

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Pediatric Surgeons

    Diagnose and perform surgery to treat fetal abnormalities and birth defects, diseases, and injuries in fetuses, premature and newborn…

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher