PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS AND FURTHER EDUCATION
Medical School: Psychiatry and Sub-Specialties
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A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who diagnoses, treats and prevents mental health disorders. Psychiatrists are mental health professionals who require the same education of a medical doctor, but with a specialization in the field of psychiatry. They can work in psychiatric and general hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, military settings, courts and prisons, community health centres, government agencies, and more.
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Steps for how to become a psychiatrist:
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Earn your Bachelor’s Degree in any field you want (keep in mind that many medical schools can request prerequisite courses).
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Take the MCAT and apply to medical school.
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Graduate from medical school (four years) and complete your residency (psychiatric residency program, which typically take five years to complete).
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If you are looking to complete a subspecialty under the field of psychiatry, you might also need to complete a fellowship.
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Obtain a medical license to practice psychiatry legally and take a certifying examination. You can also become a member of a professional organization, such as the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) or the Ontario Psychiatric Association.
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What type of psychiatrist jobs are there?
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General psychiatrist: Doctors who don’t specialize in any psychiatry discipline and can treat various patients without a narrow focus.
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Child and adolescent psychiatrist: Doctors who diagnose and treat emotional, behavioural, and mental health disorders in youth. (This requires an additional 24 month residency.)
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Geriatric psychiatrists: Doctors who work with elderly patients to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental health disorders that occur late in life. (This requires two years of additional training.)
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Forensic psychiatrist: Doctors who study mental disorders that may lead to criminal behaviours and work with law enforcement officers in legal systems.
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The average psychiatrist in Canada makes approximately $299,842 per year, but this depends entirely on experience, location, specialization, and the hiring healthcare facility.
Law School
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To become a psychology-law professional, you first must complete your bachelor's degree in psychology, as well as all the requirements for law school. At the graduate level, you must earn a master's degree in both psychology and law, or alternatively pursue an MD or PhD for psychology and a Juris Doctorate (JD) for law.
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To become a psychology-law professional, you can earn a dual degree with psychology and law, which allows you to study both fields simultaneously and understand how they interact and overlap. Once your degree is completed, you can use your qualifications to pursue careers in either of the fields of study separately, or you can combine both fields and pursue a more specialized career.
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What types of jobs are available for psychology-law professionals?
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Victim advocate (average salary: $41,790 per year): Works with victims and helps them with legal and administrative issues by creating safe environments for victims to talk about their experiences and assisting/representing a victim with legal proceedings.
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Probation officer (average salary: $44,080 per year): Works with those who have broken the law and ensures they meet the judge's requirements during the probationary period.
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Law clerk (average salary: $55,323 per year): Assist judges and legal teams when they make legal decisions, including researching legal precedents and laws, advising the judge about case facts, taking statements from witnesses and managing evidence, and drafting legal documents.
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Social worker (average salary: $56,036 per year): Work with people to find solutions to their problems and help individuals and families through challenging circumstances, such as helping to protect vulnerable people from harm or abuse or supporting people to live independently.
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Jury consultant (average salary: $56,806 per year): Behavioral professional who helps with court cases by researching jurors and giving insight about juror behavior. Jury consultants have responsibilities before and during a trial.
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Addiction counselor (average salary: $63,541 per year): Mental health professionals who assist those facing addiction, including substance and behavioral addictions.
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Lawyer (average salary: $73,435 per year): Advocate for clients in civil and criminal court cases. Lawyers often specialize in one field, such as forensic psychology.
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Teachers College
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Since becoming a teacher requires the completion of a minimum three-year postsecondary degree from an acceptable post secondary institution, you can complete a degree in psychology and be eligible. To become a teacher, you will also need to successfully complete a four semester teacher education program and apply to the College for certification.
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Keep in mind that the degree you complete will provide you with a “teachable(s)” subject(s). A first teachable course requires six full-year courses in the teaching subject, and a second teachable course requires three full-year courses.