How to Become a Psychiatrist in India After Class 12th

In Modern day life, stress and anxiety is common even among youngsters and this stress is leading to different kinds of mental health problems amongst various age groups. With time, things are going to be worse and if mental health is not considered seriously, it can lead to many different diseases as well.

There are medical professionals called psychiatrists who helps people to deal with mental health regarding issues. This field is growing at an exponential rate now due to unorganised lifestyle and problems faced by many people. According to the article by times of India, 43% of Indians are suffering from some kind of depression and many people are either unaware about it or they could not find, right doctor to help them deal with it.

If you wish to help out people dealing with this kind of mental health problems, you can become a psychiatrist in India after completing class 12th with science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as the main subjects. After that pursue MBBS and later completing MD or Diploma in Psychiatric Medicines.

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Who is a Psychiatrist ?

A Psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatric medicine. This is the branch of medical science which deals with diagnosis, prevention, study and treatment of different mental diseases.

Many a times, people get confused between a psychologist and a psychiatrist because both of them help people to deal with mental health problems but both of these professions are different and one of the key difference between a psychiatrist and psychologist is, a psychiatrist can prescribe medicines to their patients whereas a psychologist cannot, but can only provide therapy.

How to be a Psychiatrist?

Psychiatrist are one of the high paying career choice in India right now and the scope of this field is going to grow in future. The perks in this field are great and so are the hardships to become one. After completing class 12th there is almost 7-8 years of education before you can become a certified Psychiatrist.

So let’s find out, how you can become a Psychiatrist in India after completing your class 12th.

What are the courses for Psychiatrist ?

There are many courses available on Bachelors, Master and Doctoral level if you wish to pursue psychiatry.

Here is the list of courses available after class 12th for Psychiatry:

Bachelor Courses to become a psychiatrist:

1. MBBS

Diploma Courses to become a psychiatrist:

1. Diploma in Psychiatric Medicines.

2. Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing.

3. Post Graduate Diploma in Psychiatry.

Master Courses to become a psychiatrist:

1. Doctor of Medicine in Psychiatry

2. Doctor of Medicine in Neuroradiology

Doctoral Courses to become a psychiatrist:

1. PhD in Psychiatric Social Work

2. PhD in Psychiatric Nursing

3. PhD in Clinical Psychology

What is the eligibility to become a Psychiatrist?

If you are wondering, how you can get into above courses to become a psychiatrist. Here ais the eligibility criteria to become a Psychiatrist:

A student needs to complete class 12th withScience stream with Biology as one of the main subjects.
A student then needs to complete an MBBS degree and then either enroll in a a MD course in Psychiatry or Diploma in Psychiatric Medicines.
Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a three years course while Diploma in Psychiatric Medicines is a 2 years course.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q):

1. Is MBBS necessary to become a psychiatrist ?

Answer: Yes MBBS is necessary if you want to become a Psychiatrist. After completing MBBS you can go for specialised Psychiatric courses such as MD in Psychiatry.

2. Can I become a Psychiatrist without NEET ?

Answer: No, you cannot become a psychiatrist without NEET. To become a Psychiatrist you will need to complete MBBS first and to get into MBBS college you will first need to crack NEET UG.

3. How much is a Psychiatrist paid in India ?

Answer: A Psychiatrist in India on an average earns around 10 lakhs per anum.

4. What are the qualification for Psychiatrist ?

Answer: If you want to become a psychiatrist, you will need to get an MBBS degree first and then specialize in Psychiatry by either completing MD in Pyschiatry or Diploma in Psychiatric Medicines. If you wish, you can go for doctoral courses as well which we have mentioned in this article.

5. Who gets paid more, psychologist or psychiatrist?

Answer: The number of years psychiatrist spend studying to reach this stage, their salaries are significantly higher than psychologists.

6. Is it hard to become a Psychiatrist ?

Answer: Yes, it will be hard to become a psychiatrist if you are not genuinely interested in the field because this field required lot of study and you will need to invest many years in education.