Studying psychology

[mish]

I'm a spm leaver of 2003 and have interested in psychology. I dream of becoming a psychiatrist.

Can anyone tell me more about this course?

Thanks a lot!!

[mish]

I'm a spm leaver of 2003 and have interested in psychology. I dream of becoming a psychiatrist.

Can anyone tell me more about this course?

Thanks a lot!!

[mish]

I heard that a person who studys psychology under American Degree Program cannot become a psychiatrist in the future eventhough he studys untill PhD, is it true?

Is it true that a person must take medicine first then major in psychology to become a psychiatrist?

[mish]

I heard that a person who studys psychology under American Degree Program cannot become a psychiatrist in the future eventhough he studys untill PhD, is it true?

Is it true that a person must take medicine first then major in psychology to become a psychiatrist?

[dinna_g]

Is it true that a person must take medicine first then major in psychology to become a psychiatrist?
As far as I know, there is a difference between psychologist and psychiatrist. The former is literally a psychology major and the latter is has a medical degree and psychology is his/her area of specialization. Hence, he/she can prescribe medications and what not, but this is not the case for psychologist.

In the US, you need a degree before you can go to a medical school. So I don't know if a psychology major that goes to a medical school will automatically becomes a psychiatrist. I'm guessing, that is not the case. I don't know about studying until PhD will qualify you as a psychiatrist later on.

[dinna_g]

Is it true that a person must take medicine first then major in psychology to become a psychiatrist?
As far as I know, there is a difference between psychologist and psychiatrist. The former is literally a psychology major and the latter is has a medical degree and psychology is his/her area of specialization. Hence, he/she can prescribe medications and what not, but this is not the case for psychologist.

In the US, you need a degree before you can go to a medical school. So I don't know if a psychology major that goes to a medical school will automatically becomes a psychiatrist. I'm guessing, that is not the case. I don't know about studying until PhD will qualify you as a psychiatrist later on.

[BioTEch_GizMo]

Hmmm...just curious but can a person do biochemistry and psychology at the same time while studying in US under JPA?..... issit considered a double major (issit hectic to do double majors?) and will JPA permit it?....thanks for the info!

[BioTEch_GizMo]

Hmmm...just curious but can a person do biochemistry and psychology at the same time while studying in US under JPA?..... issit considered a double major (issit hectic to do double majors?) and will JPA permit it?....thanks for the info!

[wesleyanne]

Yes, if you go to med school and focus on psychiatry, you will graduate as a psychiatrist. As far as I know, there is no PhD in psychiatry. Psychiatry is a medical subfield. There is, however a PhD in psychology, and yeah, even if you have a PhD in psychology, this will not qualify you as a psychiatrist. You have to go to med school if you wanna be a psychiatrist. Also, I would think its possible to double major in biochemistry and psychology. Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

[wesleyanne]

Yes, if you go to med school and focus on psychiatry, you will graduate as a psychiatrist. As far as I know, there is no PhD in psychiatry. Psychiatry is a medical subfield. There is, however a PhD in psychology, and yeah, even if you have a PhD in psychology, this will not qualify you as a psychiatrist. You have to go to med school if you wanna be a psychiatrist. Also, I would think its possible to double major in biochemistry and psychology. Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

[lilet]

Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

Is that so? May I know then what other courses are also complementary to Psychology other than Biochemistry (not including Medicine, of course)? And also, if there are other courses, must it be under Double Major only and no other ways?

[lilet]

Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

Is that so? May I know then what other courses are also complementary to Psychology other than Biochemistry (not including Medicine, of course)? And also, if there are other courses, must it be under Double Major only and no other ways?

[wesleyanne]

Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

Is that so? May I know then what other courses are also complementary to Psychology other than Biochemistry (not including Medicine, of course)? And also, if there are other courses, must it be under Double Major only and no other ways?

oops, didn't mention this before, but like medicine, psychology has many subfields. It really depends on which field of pyschology you wish to pursue. For example, if you wish to be a psychometric psychologist, you also need to be well-trained in math (stats) and computer science. And if you wanna pursue forensic psych, you also need to be well-knowledged in law. These are just a few examples of the many subfields in psychology. The subject matter of psychology really is very broad. However, for undergrad level, you don't really get to major in the subfields, but you can take classes, or double major in subjects that will help you in the psychology subfield you wish to pursue. eg. if you know you have interest in being a psychometric psychologist, a double major in lets say, math wouldnt hurt, get what I mean? but of course there's the extra workload ;)

Anyway, here's my personal experience with psych :oops: The first time I took psych classes, I was naive enough to think I'd be learning about the way ppl think, why they think that way etc and was so excited about it so I could start psychoanalyzing my friends...hehe :) I ended up spending the entire semester learning in depth about the biology and the chemistry aspect of psychology and even statistics. Studied in detail (really detailed) about the eyes, the ears, the brain, the nose etc) and during the exams, I felt as though I was taking a science exam instead ;) haha :)

Is it true that a person must take medicine first then major in psychology to become a psychiatrist?

As far as I know, yes you have to take the necessary classes to get into med school (aka pre-med). Once you're in med school, all you have to do is choose psychiatry (not psychology) as your area of interest, and you can graduate as a psychiatrist. I believe, but I could be wrong, that once you choose pyschiatry, the course will be structured as such that you will get the necessary psychology courses in. I don't think you have to major in psychology again after going to med school to be a psychiatrist. Really, all you need, if you're interested in psychiatry is to get into med school, choose psychiatry as your concentration and thats it :)

[wesleyanne]

Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

Is that so? May I know then what other courses are also complementary to Psychology other than Biochemistry (not including Medicine, of course)? And also, if there are other courses, must it be under Double Major only and no other ways?

oops, didn't mention this before, but like medicine, psychology has many subfields. It really depends on which field of pyschology you wish to pursue. For example, if you wish to be a psychometric psychologist, you also need to be well-trained in math (stats) and computer science. And if you wanna pursue forensic psych, you also need to be well-knowledged in law. These are just a few examples of the many subfields in psychology. The subject matter of psychology really is very broad. However, for undergrad level, you don't really get to major in the subfields, but you can take classes, or double major in subjects that will help you in the psychology subfield you wish to pursue. eg. if you know you have interest in being a psychometric psychologist, a double major in lets say, math wouldnt hurt, get what I mean? but of course there's the extra workload ;)

Anyway, here's my personal experience with psych :oops: The first time I took psych classes, I was naive enough to think I'd be learning about the way ppl think, why they think that way etc and was so excited about it so I could start psychoanalyzing my friends...hehe :) I ended up spending the entire semester learning in depth about the biology and the chemistry aspect of psychology and even statistics. Studied in detail (really detailed) about the eyes, the ears, the brain, the nose etc) and during the exams, I felt as though I was taking a science exam instead ;) haha :)

Is it true that a person must take medicine first then major in psychology to become a psychiatrist?

As far as I know, yes you have to take the necessary classes to get into med school (aka pre-med). Once you're in med school, all you have to do is choose psychiatry (not psychology) as your area of interest, and you can graduate as a psychiatrist. I believe, but I could be wrong, that once you choose pyschiatry, the course will be structured as such that you will get the necessary psychology courses in. I don't think you have to major in psychology again after going to med school to be a psychiatrist. Really, all you need, if you're interested in psychiatry is to get into med school, choose psychiatry as your concentration and thats it :)

[wesleyanne]

Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

And also, if there are other courses, must it be under Double Major only and no other ways?

no, a double major isnt necessary at all :) It does however strengthen your chances of getting into the subfield you wanna pursue in grad school. Lets say, you're interested in biopsychology, a double major in biochemistry as well as psychology would strongly improve your chances of getting into the program you want, esp in the more competitive schools, but no a double major is not necessary and definitely not required. However, if you're unsure of which subfield you wish to pursue, and still want to double major in a subject that would help you, biology would be your best bet :) There are sooo many subfields in psychology that deal heavily with biology!

[wesleyanne]

Psychology and Biochemistry are actually quite complementary.

And also, if there are other courses, must it be under Double Major only and no other ways?

no, a double major isnt necessary at all :) It does however strengthen your chances of getting into the subfield you wanna pursue in grad school. Lets say, you're interested in biopsychology, a double major in biochemistry as well as psychology would strongly improve your chances of getting into the program you want, esp in the more competitive schools, but no a double major is not necessary and definitely not required. However, if you're unsure of which subfield you wish to pursue, and still want to double major in a subject that would help you, biology would be your best bet :) There are sooo many subfields in psychology that deal heavily with biology!

[mish]

wesleyanne.

Thanks a lot for your reply!!! I really appreciate it! Now, I understand that I must go to a medical school first before I can become a psychiatrist. I actually hope to become a psychometric psychologist at first but lots of people told me it's hard to have a good job especially in Malaysia for a psychologist.

Could anyone please tell me more about psychometric psychologist?

Thanks!!

[mish]

wesleyanne.

Thanks a lot for your reply!!! I really appreciate it! Now, I understand that I must go to a medical school first before I can become a psychiatrist. I actually hope to become a psychometric psychologist at first but lots of people told me it's hard to have a good job especially in Malaysia for a psychologist.

Could anyone please tell me more about psychometric psychologist?

Thanks!!

[wesleyanne]

Could anyone please tell me more about psychometric psychologist?

Thanks!!

Well, I'll try to remember exactly what I learned about the subfields of psychology in class, but I can't guarantee I'm 100% accurate cos its been a while :) hehe

Pyschometric Psychologists deal VERY heavily with math (statistics!) and are very well-knowledged about computers. You see, in the field of psychology, there are tons of research/surveys conducted, and this is where psychometric psychologists come in. They develop tests, analyze complex sets of results, come up with programs to improve their testings, etc. As you can see, you really need to be very good in statistics, which is why I mentioned above that if you wanna be a psychometric psychologist, it really wouldn't hurt if you had a double major in math or computer science :) And I think if you have a degree in psychometrics, your career options aren't just limited to the field of psychology. You may be hired by corporations to analyze data and to perform market research for them as well. I think in psychometrics, you don't deal much with people (if compared to other subfields) but just statistics and test results and computers.

As for career options for psychology in Malaysia, I do agree with you, but this is just my personal opinion. Since psychiatry is a medical subfield, you'll have a better chance of obtaining a good job in psychiatry. I believe there are more job openings for psychiatrists (its a medical profession) versus psychologists (if we're just talking about the field of counseling and therapy)

I mean if you think about it, (and if we're just talking about you wanting to be a counselor/therapist) I don't see a lot of Malaysians being comfortable going for counseling and therapy, or spending money visiting the therapist weekly just to talk about their problems, unless they're seriously mentally ill (in that case, they usually visit the psychiatrist). Americans, on the other hand, are more comfortable with this, and at least, a lot of people I know are visiting therapists ;) so there are more job openings for counselors and therapists here.

And of course, I'm just talking about the counseling part of psychology, which most people who major in psychology usually seek jobs in. There's also the research part where these psychologists look for jobs in the research area to conduct experiments etc, but somehow I don't really see Malaysia as a country that invests a lot in developing the field of psychology. But thats just my personal opinion, I could be totally wrong!

[wesleyanne]

Could anyone please tell me more about psychometric psychologist?

Thanks!!

Well, I'll try to remember exactly what I learned about the subfields of psychology in class, but I can't guarantee I'm 100% accurate cos its been a while :) hehe

Pyschometric Psychologists deal VERY heavily with math (statistics!) and are very well-knowledged about computers. You see, in the field of psychology, there are tons of research/surveys conducted, and this is where psychometric psychologists come in. They develop tests, analyze complex sets of results, come up with programs to improve their testings, etc. As you can see, you really need to be very good in statistics, which is why I mentioned above that if you wanna be a psychometric psychologist, it really wouldn't hurt if you had a double major in math or computer science :) And I think if you have a degree in psychometrics, your career options aren't just limited to the field of psychology. You may be hired by corporations to analyze data and to perform market research for them as well. I think in psychometrics, you don't deal much with people (if compared to other subfields) but just statistics and test results and computers.

As for career options for psychology in Malaysia, I do agree with you, but this is just my personal opinion. Since psychiatry is a medical subfield, you'll have a better chance of obtaining a good job in psychiatry. I believe there are more job openings for psychiatrists (its a medical profession) versus psychologists (if we're just talking about the field of counseling and therapy)

I mean if you think about it, (and if we're just talking about you wanting to be a counselor/therapist) I don't see a lot of Malaysians being comfortable going for counseling and therapy, or spending money visiting the therapist weekly just to talk about their problems, unless they're seriously mentally ill (in that case, they usually visit the psychiatrist). Americans, on the other hand, are more comfortable with this, and at least, a lot of people I know are visiting therapists ;) so there are more job openings for counselors and therapists here.

And of course, I'm just talking about the counseling part of psychology, which most people who major in psychology usually seek jobs in. There's also the research part where these psychologists look for jobs in the research area to conduct experiments etc, but somehow I don't really see Malaysia as a country that invests a lot in developing the field of psychology. But thats just my personal opinion, I could be totally wrong!

[mish]

Again, thanks a lot for your reply!

I think I really need to spend much time to think carefully whether I want to study to become a psychologist or psychiatrist.

I really feel frustrated when people around me asking me not to study anything related to psychology since that this course cannot gurantee me to get a good job in the future. Again and again, I'm hurted. It's really hard in doing something which others don't support you! Could anyone pls tell me, is it really bad to study psychology? Someone said that it's a wasting of time and money!

[mish]

Again, thanks a lot for your reply!

I think I really need to spend much time to think carefully whether I want to study to become a psychologist or psychiatrist.

I really feel frustrated when people around me asking me not to study anything related to psychology since that this course cannot gurantee me to get a good job in the future. Again and again, I'm hurted. It's really hard in doing something which others don't support you! Could anyone pls tell me, is it really bad to study psychology? Someone said that it's a wasting of time and money!

[mish]

Actually, I don't really know much about the subfields of psychology, can anyone tell me more pls?

[mish]

Actually, I don't really know much about the subfields of psychology, can anyone tell me more pls?

[wesleyanne]

Again, thanks a lot for your reply!

I think I really need to spend much time to think carefully whether I want to study to become a psychologist or psychiatrist.

I really feel frustrated when people around me asking me not to study anything related to psychology since that this course cannot gurantee me to get a good job in the future. Again and again, I'm hurted. It's really hard in doing something which others don't support you! Could anyone pls tell me, is it really bad to study psychology? Someone said that it's a wasting of time and money!

no no, its not a waste of time and money :) I think they're just trying to be realistic and I'm sure they have your best interests at heart, otherwise they wouldn't even care what you're doing right?I'm not going to say whether they are right or wrong because it would be very hard to determine the job market and demand for psychologists in Malaysia in the future. If you want to study psychology, go ahead, but to be more on the safe side regarding jobs, or to appease how others are feeling, why don't you double major? That way, you'll get to study what you like, as well as have something to fall back on.

Eg: If you're worried about the job market, I would strongly suggest a double major in Business (be it accounting, finance, marketing, management etc) and Psychology. The reason I'm suggesting this is simply because for undergrad level, there ARE quite a lot of job openings in the field of business, and having a psychology degree puts you at a more competitive edge.

and here's a link if you're interested in knowing more about the subfields of psychology :) of course, there's way more info out there, so you may want to search a little on it.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/liberal_arts/psychology/undergraduate/underg_fields.html

[theT]

psycologist really makes money. all they did is talk and ask the client to talk and they get money for that. they can't prescibe any medication . no offence, but if you make a right move, you can get a lot of money too. :lol:

[mish]

wesleyanne

Thanks for spending so much time to let me know more. You really help me a lot! :D :wink:

Yeah, I do think of doing double major. And I do think of doing accounting also. But, I'm afraid I can't afford it. Psychology is already making me headache because of fincancial problem. scholarship? Well, I don't think it's easy to get any and I'm not doing that well in academic like what other recommers do. (yeah, have to admit this. I think you can know it by reading my posts right? hehe.... :oops: :oops: )

What do you think about psychologist and psychiatrist? Which one is better you think? (yeah, i really need advice on this.) Hmm... how about the income between these two?

[mish]

psycologist really makes money. all they did is talk and ask the client to talk and they get money for that. they can't prescibe any medication . no offence, but if you make a right move, you can get a lot of money too. :lol:

psychologist really makes money? Hmm... may I know what make you say so? Example? and if compare to psychiatrist?

[theT]

psycologist really makes money. all they did is talk and ask the client to talk and they get money for that. they can't prescibe any medication . no offence, but if you make a right move, you can get a lot of money too. :lol:

psychologist really makes money? Hmm... may I know what make you say so? Example? and if compare to psychiatrist?

coz i used to go to one.

[littlebigone]

what's the differnece between psychiatrists and psychologists?
I thought the former was the doctor, involved with therapy and all that while the latter is more research, group motivation and things like that. Does a psychologist treat patients?

[mish]

what's the differnece between psychiatrists and psychologists?
I thought the former was the doctor, involved with therapy and all that while the latter is more research, group motivation and things like that. Does a psychologist treat patients?

From what I know, there's many different kinds of psychologists and a clinical psychologist treats patients.

[StupidCupid]

if i want to become a psychiatrist, do i have to study things about psychology??? or i just go to the medic school and study about medical stuff??

[HappyCat]

if i want to become a psychiatrist, do i have to study things about psychology??? or i just go to the medic school and study about medical stuff??

erm...i don't think so...i got a friend who want to become a psychiatrist, but he study A-level 1st before he study about psychology....may b i'm wrong...
corret me if i'm wrong. :wink:

[StupidCupid]

I'm not so sure about it too...
But from what i know, a psychiatrist can prescribe medicine(to be specific, drugs) while a psychologist can't.

Anyone who is/was doing psychistry or psychology can tell more about it??

[pandaboy]

if i want to become a psychiatrist, do i have to study things about psychology??? or i just go to the medic school and study about medical stuff??

It's already answered on page 1:

Is it true that a person must take medicine first then major in psychology to become a psychiatrist?
As far as I know, there is a difference between psychologist and psychiatrist. The former is literally a psychology major and the latter is has a medical degree and psychology is his/her area of specialization. Hence, he/she can prescribe medications and what not, but this is not the case for psychologist.

In the US, you need a degree before you can go to a medical school. So I don't know if a psychology major that goes to a medical school will automatically becomes a psychiatrist. I'm guessing, that is not the case. I don't know about studying until PhD will qualify you as a psychiatrist later on.


-~-~-~

I'm not so sure about it too...
But from what i know, a psychiatrist can prescribe medicine(to be specific, drugs) while a psychologist can't.

Anyone who is/was doing psychistry or psychology can tell more about it??


Yes, a psychiatrist can prescribe drugs but psychologist can not. :wink: Got to know this from TV actually....

[iQing]

just a short comment :

It is better to study Psychology on your own as interest.
I doubt that this course is marketable.

[Aki]

Yeah,i wonder where a psychologist can work?Usually,the counsellors in some associations are volunteers.
just a short comment :

It is better to study Psychology on your own as interest.
I doubt that this course is marketable.

[PJKru]

i know someone studying computing now with a degree ion psychology

[balderdash]

I have quite a few friends majoring in Psych here in NUS .... it's under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. From what I see (I've never even taken the introduction to psych module - couldn't be arsed to fight with so many people to get it), they study a wide spectrum of subjects like adolescent psych, health psych, bio psych, family, group dynamics yadayadayada. And many times, they have to create and conduct experiments at their labs (with us poor friends as the lab rats) and as they've said, many times it's like a science and stats major instead :) But it's pretty intriguing.

Oh and you know what is the worst/stupidest thing to say to a psych major?
"ooooh can you read my mind?"
Side note: The worst thing to say to a linguist is "oooh does that mean you speak a lot of languages?"

[Aki]

As long as i know,phychology is an art and science stream subject,so can a phychologist can really work in a hospital?

Adapted from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm# conditions Areas of specialization within clinical psychology include health psychology, neuropsychology, and geropsychology. Health psychologists promote good health through health maintenance counseling programs designed to help people achieve goals, such as to stop smoking or lose weight. Neuropsychologists study the relation between the brain and behavior. They often work in stroke and head injury programs. Geropsychologists deal with the special problems faced by the elderly. The emergence and growth of these specialties reflects the increasing participation of psychologists in providing direct services to special patient population.

I used to thought that phychology doesn't relate much to science,am i wrong?Because phychology is open to art student,then how can a phychologist work in stroke and head injury programs?