A psychiatrist must have an MD or DO from a medical school. Additionally, at least three of these years must be completed with a specialization specifically in the practice of psychiatry. A residency is like an apprenticeship or internship in that you work under the supervision of another psychiatrist. After completing specialization, future psychiatrists must pass a written and oral exam. The written exam lasts a full day and covers basic sciences and clinical psychiatry. The oral portion of the exam is designed to assess skills in real-world settings through actual observation of an exam and patient history with a client. As a first-year practitioner I could earn up to $230,800 in annual salary. The exact number will vary based on location and other factors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Psychiatrists focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and mental and emotional disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to evaluate and treat both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems. People seek psychiatric help for many reasons. The problems can be sudden, such as panic attacks, frightening hallucinations, or suicidal thoughts. On the other hand, the problems may be more long-term, such as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety that never seem to resolve. Psychiatrists can order or perform a full range of medical, laboratory, and psychological tests. This, combined with discussions with patients, helps provide insight into the patient's physical and mental status. Their clinical education and training prepares them to understand the complex relationship between emotional and other medical illnesses and relationships with genetics and family history, to evaluate medical and psychological data, to make a diagnosis, and to work with patients to develop plans of treatment. Psychiatrists use a variety of treatments, including various forms of psychotherapy, medications, psychosocial interventions and other treatments depending on each patient's needs. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is a treatment that involves a conversational relationship between a therapist and a patient. It can be used to treat a wide variety of mental disorders and emotional difficulties. Depending on the extent of the problem, treatment may require just a few sessions over a week or two or many sessions over years. Psychotherapy can be carried out individually, in a couple, in a family or in a group. There are many forms of psychotherapy. There are psychotherapies that help patients change behaviors or thought patterns, psychotherapies that help patients explore the effect of relationships and past experiences on present behaviors, and psychotherapies tailored to help solve other problems in specific ways. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a goal-oriented therapy focused on problem solving. Psychoanalysis is an intensive form of individual psychotherapy that requires frequent sessions over several years. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay After completing thorough evaluations, psychiatrists may prescribe medications to help treat mental disorders. Psychotropic drugs can help correct imbalances in brain chemistry that are thought to be involved in some mental disorders. America needs about 45,000 more psychiatrists because many psychiatrists will retire in the next decade. The problem is that in the United States we only have about 10.