I want to be a psychiatrist, but I need advice!

[Toz]

I want to be a psychiatrist when I grow up. I love helping people; it's the only thing left that gives me any peace. I'm smart. My teachers tell me I am. But my grades stink. Is it possible to become one with a GPA of 2.79? I don't think so but please help me. I have 2 years of High school left. Is it even possible to turn this around?

[esfdhtfy]

First off, stop stressing so much! [: Second, you still have two years left of high school. I am not certain that you know how 'Becoming a Psychiatrist' works so I'll give you a little bit of the run-down. You may be interested in being a Psychologist or a Therapist as well, so I'll briefly touch upon those as well.

You want to help people. You say that you want to be a Psychiatrist. There are other ways to help people - emotionally: Psychologist, Therapist, Counselor, Social Worker, etc.

Counselors and social workers usually require less schooling than the other three professions. I'm writing from a Canadian point-of-view so all of this may not be absolutely accurate but I'm sure it captures the general gist of things.

Here, to be a counselor or a social worker, most only need a bachelor's degree although some require you to have a Master's degree. To be a therapist, you will be required to have a Master's degree. To be a Psychologist you'll need a Ph.D or Psy.D. And finally, to be a Psychiatrist, you'll need an M.D. - that means you'll have to go to Medical School.

All of the professions that I mentioned above all require quite an amount of schooling, as you can see. Now, you might be asking the question: "What should be my major in college?" That depends on which of the above professions you want to become.

Psychology is a popular route for someone wanting to go into any of the above professions. It's important to note that there are two routes to Psychology - the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) route and the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) route. If you excel and are interested in the sciences and in math, you may want to look at the B.Sc. route. If the opposite, look into the B.A. route.

Psychiatry usually requires a lot more science than the rest of the professions, simply because one must go to Medical School. The difference between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist, in short, is that the Psychiatrist can prescribe pills while the Psychologist can't. This means that the Psychiatrist will need to have a lot of knowledge on medical drugs and whatnot.

Okay, I think I went a bit ahead of myself. Sorry. [: As for what to do right now, I'll come up with some steps that will get you to college. Hopefully they're clear and understandable:

1) Decide what subject you want to be your major in college. Does Psychology interest you? I'd recommend that for anyone looking to be any one of those professions.

2) If Psychology, decide whether you want to go down the B.A. route or the B.Sc. route. Do you enjoy science and math? Do you excel in them? What would you prefer?

3) Look into potential universities. There are many factors to consider when narrowing down universities. Will you live at home for university? Will you be living on campus at an in-state university? Will you be moving out-of-state?

4) Look at the requirements to get into the universities you're looking at and be realistic. I'm not 100% sure how GPA works so you may want to consult your school counselor about that.

5) If you decide to go down the B.Sc. route, make sure you have all of the pre-requisites you need for that program. I don't know how the American requirements work, so that's something you'll need to look up on the university's website. All of the information is there.

6) Do your research! Each university has a website. Use it! There is a TON of information there and you could even order information packages that will be sent directly to your home.

7) Talk to your school counselor about your plans. Maybe he/she will give you some additional input as he/she is likely an expert in this particular field of giving advice.

All in all, don't worry so much. You have plenty of time. Oh, I forgot to mention, you cannot go directly into Psychiatry. In most cases, you will have to complete a four-year undergraduate degree and then attend Medical School. If you're interested in Psychiatry, I'd recommend the B.Sc. route in Psychology.

Ultimately, you know yourself better than anyone. Don't be in such a rush to make this decision. It really is a big one to make at such a young age. Believe me, I'm starting to struggle with it myself. Enjoy yourself now, continue to work hard in school and never, never give up.

[Toz]

WOW! okay, thank you very much, this helps a lot
As for the B.S. versus the B.A., I have a deep interest, and profound knowledge of both, but I'm probably going to for the B.S. because I like it just a tad more . As a job, I wanted to work at a rehabilitation center. Would that be something I could pursue as a psychiatrist?

[esfdhtfy]

Yes, there are a variety of different places where Psychiatrists could work. You could even own a private practice, if you want. Many Psychiatrists work in Psychiatric Institutions and similar buildings.

[Toz]

Ok thank you very much
I'm gonna pursue this with everything I've got, but judging by how things have gone so far I doubt it's going to happen.

[esfdhtfy]

Originally Posted by auron_16

Ok thank you very much
I'm gonna pursue this with everything I've got, but judging by how things have gone so far I doubt it's going to happen.

Nah, you can't think like this. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Sure it may seem intimidating and rather impossible at first but remember, your first step will be the longest stride. Once you truly believe that you can do it, you will have the motivation to do whatever it takes until you do it. You can accomplish anything if you simply don't give up. Good luck with everything.

[Toz]

Thank you
That brings the total amount of people who believe in me up to 3

[Tegan]

I have very little to add to what Canuck said...
except to repeat that you need to believe in yourself! If this is something you really want then I'm sure you will find a way to make it happen!
Good luck Toz, I hope everything goes as planned!

[Toz]

Thank you tegan

[SilentConfessions]

Take it from someone who had always wanted to become a Psychiatrist but ended up doing a Psychology degree. It is just as satisfying because you still get to learn about all the things you want to know about but it comes through an easier route.
I never got the grades to do Psychiatry but I got into psychology just fine, and from there I am hoping on doing postgraduate studies which can lead to becoming a clinical psychologist which is similar to Psychiatry.
Believe in yourself and you can do it just fine.