I think the “wants to prescribe” is something that can be ignored for now.
First of all- none of us know what the scope of practice will be in 8, 9, 10 years once the D is actually working in a health care setting. Their are older docs who are surprised how quickly some of the licensing regulations (in some states) have changed- and there is no sign that the changes are “done and done”.
Second- this is not a good way to pick a career in mental health or related. Many therapists work in a setting where they are part of a large team… so the MD (psychiatrist) might see the patient 4 times a year for a meds management check in… but that MD is reviewing the notes and diagnosis of the therapists on the team who may be seeing the patient once or twice a week. So technically the “signature” on the prescription is that of the MD… but the actual heavy lifting on diagnosis, identifying which meds have or have not worked in the past, working through the goals in sessions, recommending appropriate settings (group therapy, an in-patient unit, etc) is all being done by the professionals who “don’t prescribe”. Some psychiatrists are essentially “meds management” tools for insurance companies… but not a lot of long term and holistic support, treatment and healing.
Third-the journey of both a PhD in clinical pysch and an MD is long… and really is not something that a HS kid is prepared to understand. It’s great that the D has direction right now. The focus should be (IMHO) on finding an affordable route to a Bachelor’s degree in a place that has enough academic rigor to support many different paths afterwards- doctorate, master’s in one of the counseling fields, research oriented degree in public health, MBA focused on hospital management, etc.