How hard is it to become a psychiatrist?

Next, students have to sit for the medical college admission test (MCAT). Although medical schools evaluate the merits of a student's total application, a passing MCAT score is a basic requirement for consideration. Most schools consider a score of 511 points (out of a total of 528 points) to be acceptable.

Students accepted to medical school typically receive the same basic instruction whether they opt to become an M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy). An M.D. typically offers allopathic treatments that address the specific symptoms of a disease.

A D.O. regards the body as an integrated entity and addresses conditions from lifestyle and medical perspectives instead of treating specific symptoms.

After medical school, students begin a residency in a specialty of their choice. A residency program in psychiatry typically takes another four years.

All states require doctors, including psychiatrists, to obtain a license before they can practice unsupervised. Additionally, psychiatrists must obtain certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN).

Requirements for maintaining and renewing a license vary by state, but most require doctors to earn a minimum number of continuing education credits to maintain the licensure. Renewal conditions of an ABPN certification depend on a psychiatrist's area of specialty but are generally required every ten years.