<p>Re the “med check” issue: I actually didn’t want to repond the the psychologists post because it touches on a sore spot in the psychiatric community. But since you asked and (s)he brought it up. . . .</p>
<p>In addition to not getting a large amount of respect from the MD community, psychiatrists also have to put up with the psychologist community who on the one hand have lobbied insurance companies to cut them out of the ability to do psychotherapy (by convincing insurance comnpanies to only allow MD’s to give meds while the allied help people do the psychotherapy, and at the same time are lobbying state legislatures to be allowed “perscribing privaledges.” In other words, psychologist have been attempting to become psychiatrists for some time now. This is, I think, one of the reasons why few people are going into psychiatry these days. I think there is a big fear that the specialty will pretty much be turned over to psychologists.</p>
<p>I, myself have a traditional psychotherapy practice. I seem to be highly sought after because so many of the psychiatrists in my community are either only doing medication managment or don’t speak English as a native language. I’m not saying this to be prejudiced. You really need to have a good command of a language to practice psychiatry in it. I don’t do nearly as well with non-native English speakers. . . they are better off with psychiatrists who speak their native tongue.</p>
<p>I am not a child psychiatrist. However, most of my friends are. They are all hugely booked. There is a major shortage of them in my community and I live in a very popular, and populated place. All the child psych docs I know do not do med managment only. I don’t think that’s really possible in a child psych practice. Child psych includes interacting with the child, the parents, and the school. It’s very rewarding, from what my friends tell me.</p>
<p>I agree with all the above posters about the need to do well in college. It’s essential to getting admitted to medical school.</p>