Medical Education US

Hello:

Does anyone know the difference between a Ph.D and a PsyD? I was told by an admissions director at Argosy University in Florida that maybe in 2 years PsyD will be able to prescribe meds.
How does the income look for these two? I am considering changing my major from MD to either Ph.D or PsyD. I am not sure which one has more prestiage in the field of Psychology.
After listening to you guys and talking with some universities i really am not sure if i want to be a Psyhiatrist. The only reason i had said i wanted to be one in the beginning is becuase i wanted to be able to help my clients as well as prescribe them meds if need be. I didnt want to hassle with sending them out to someone else.

But my heart is into wanting to be more involved with the people even though i want to be able to prescribe meds. But I didnt want meds to be the 1st or only thing i did, so that is why i am questioning the field of Psychiatrist.

But i am also a writer and i would love to be able to write on the side, so i think my services and love for people/animals(volunteer work) may be better served and put to use as a Psychologist with a Ph.D or Doctors.
What do you guys think?
I apprecaye all the advice i get.
Thanks!

Renee

In general, from my discussions with professionals in the field, a Ph.D. usually carries more clout than a Psy.D. (That is often easily determined by looking at the quality of the schools which are offering the degrees!)

I have heard the Psy.D. described as falling between the LCSW and the Ph.D. on the clinical and academic prestige scale. If you are mainly interested in providing counseling, it might be an option. If you want an academic career, however, you might do well to consider the Ph.D. route.

As far as psychologists prescribing medicine, the topic has been discussed in this forum on other threads. Non-physicians have been pushing for prescribing rights for years, and I can't see it happening -- except perhaps in some places where there is a genuine lack of care providers. A psychiatrist who spoke at our medical school said that, in his opinion, psychologists only needed to do one thing to earn the privilege of prescribing medications...

"Graduate from medical school."

My opinion is that if someone wants to develop the broadest possibilities for providing care, psychiatry is the way to go. If you want to be able to prescribe meds, it is >definitely< the way to go. If you are solely interested in counseling, then the other options are viable options and certainly respectable careers!

As far as writing goes, we share an interest in that area, Renee. Many of my favorite authors and poets are (or were) practicing physicians... Danielle Ofri, Jack Coulehan, Arthur Schnitzler, Bernard Lown, William Carlos Williams. Medicine will allow writers to write "on the side" as you put it, just as much as any other profession, and I think it may even provide more fodder for the noggin.

Ofri has a great piece in her book "Singular Intimacies" about how, for her, medicine and writing are intertwined. I can't do it justice, but she discusses how she cannot picture her life without either exercise.

Whatever you decide to do, and however you approach this, I wish you well!

[ Edited by Corpsman-Up on 2005/4/13 15:13 ]

Agree with Corpsman-up on just about everything. I think you may be sorely disappointed if you pursue a PsyD in the belief that you will be able to prescribe medications. Personally, that seems most unlikely to occur legislatively, and I'm not sure why you'd even want to open yourself up to the difficulties and liability of same without an MD degree. The MD degree gives you the flexibility to practice in any mode you choose. If you are only interested in doing psychotherapy, psychology or social work may be a good route.

Incidently, I too chose psychiatry in part so I could control my schedule in a desire to create time to write. It is doable, but I think it is relevant to consider that the greater your income per unit time, the fewer hours you need to work to earn a given income, leaving more time for writing or anything else.

Thanks for the response. Sorry it has taken me awhile to get back to the forum but i have been busy with finals.

I am going to look for Danielle Ofri book "Singular Intimacies". It sounds like a book I need to read.

And thanks for the bit of info on the prestiage level of PsyD vs PhD. I think Ph.D is the field I need to concentrate on and just settle on that fact that i will have to refer my clients out to a Pscyhiatrist to get meds.

It is better off to do what your heart wants then to do something i will live to regret later possibly. And i think i will be unhappy if all my job consisted of was prescribing meds. Getting down to the core of it is what i want to do.

Thanka agian..

Renee

Thanks for the advise Polymath. So are you a Psychiatrist?
And are you saying there is more money in Psychiatrist then in Ph.D?
And if you are a Psychiatrist how long have you been one and what is your take on the profession? Was Medical school worth the time and effort?

Hi Renee. I think it is important to remember that psychiatrists are licensed to write scripts for medications, but that is not ALL that they do all day... unless that is their specific scope of practice.

Many psychiatrists see patients for counseling/psychoanalysis -- and they are ALSO able to utilize medications in the care of their patients.

For example, I was pleased to see that one the combined psychiatry/family practice residencies specifically listed their high pass rate in psychotherapy boards (ABPN). According to other posts I have read on this site, some residencies will be more focused on training psychiatrists in med management, and others will be more therapy-friendly.

Psychiatry, in my estimation and from where I stand as a medical student, offers the broadest spectrum of care for future patients. I think highly of psychologists, as well, but for me the road through medical school is well worth it.

Good luck with finals!

I finished my psychiatry residency in 1990. Yes, in general psychiatrists are paid more than psychologists, whether on an hourly basis or by salary.
I've made a number of posts on my view of psychiatric practice, but I'm not sure how to refer back to previous posts to direct you. You could try this:

http://www.medical-education.us/reply-psychology-psychiatry-t46.html

One thing PhD psychologists can do that PsyD's and MD's usually don't is administer and interpret psychological and neuropsychological testing- including MMPI's, intelligence testing, cognitive testing for dementia, etc.
-
Michael Rack, MD

PsyD's function just like PhD's in regards to psychological testing - they can and many do perform MMPI's and other neuropsychological tests.

MD's rarely, if ever, get involved in psychological testing in my experience.