Tips - No. 138

Tip No. 138

Q. I am presently a teacher and finishing up a masters degree in reading. I was thinking of changing fields and looking into child/adolescent psychiatry. Would I have to complete an entirely new masters program in order to enter into a PHD or medical school program? Would all my efforts thus far be lost? What are my options at this point other than teaching?

A. Congratulations on your upcoming completion of your masters degree! That is an accomplishment!
Unfortunately, I cannot completely answer your question, as each college and university has different requirements for their graduate programs. There are many ways to accomplish your goal. You do not necessarily have to stick with psychiatry to get there, you may also reach your goal by entering the field of psychology.

I would assume that your masters degree will be a Masters of Education (M.Ed.). If that is so, you may be able to move into the field of psychology rather quickly, by taking only a few additional courses. Many Colleges of Education offer an M.Ed.D., as opposed to a Ph.D., or Psy.D.) in counseling Psychology. These programs grew out of school guidance counseling, which is why they are often offered in colleges of education. They are different from Clinical Psychology programs in that they are geared more toward helping people deal with problems of living, rather than the severe psychiatric disorders. They usually include child development courses, as well as, psychological theory training and counseling skills training. If your program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), it will prepare you for your counseling internship and prepare you for licensure in your state as a masters level counselor. Each state has different licensure requirements, so you will have to look into what those are for your state. There will probably be numerous options available to you with this type of degree, especially within the school system. With your teaching background, you will most likely be well prepared to become a school counselor. However, you may be able to work in non-profit settings, open a private counseling practice, or work as an employee assistance program counselor, as well as many other psychological arenas, depending on the licensure rules for your state.

Many colleges and universities today do not require you to have a masters degree in order to begin a doctoral degree program. In fact, some prefer that you only have a bachelors degree and you receive your masters as part of the doctoral program, so you may not have to complete a new masters degree at all. You may have to take the GRE and/or the Psychology GRE to be accepted into one of these programs, depending on that school's requirements. The APA publishes a book on APA accredited graduate programs in psychology in the U.S. that you may want to pick up. It is a great resource and will tell you, for each program, what their entry requirements are, what their degrees offered are, what their areas of specialty are, who their professors are, what areas of research they are pursuing, and whether the program is more weighted toward research or practice.

If you are interested in attending medical school, you will first have to take the MCAT, which is the entry exam required by most med schools. This will probably be the longest and most grueling route to follow and when you are finished, you will actually be a medical doctor, and able to prescribe medications. This is the only way to become a Psychiatrist, as these are all M.D.s. The major difference between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist is that as a Psychologist, even though you are a doctor, you are not a medical doctor, and cannot prescribe medication.

I suggest you give some serious consideration to what you would like to do in the field of child/adolescent psychiatry (or psychology) and do some research to see which direction will be the best option for you. Whether you pursue another masters in clinical or counseling psychology, or a doctoral degree in psychology, or become an M.D., all of your efforts so far may not be lost. You will have many, many options available to you in the end. Whatever path you choose, make sure the program you select is accredited and meets the licensure requirements for your state. Once you are licensed either as a counselor or a psychologist, your options are almost virtually unlimited and will simply require exploring the marketplace in your area as to the opportunities available to you.

Best of luck to you!

CMI
Career Management International

If you have a question for CMI, please send email to jobbox@cmi-lmi.com with "Question for CMI" in the subject line.

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	Tip No. 138
Q. I am presently a teacher and finishing up a masters degree in reading. I was thinking of changing fields and looking into child/adolescent psychiatry. Would I have to complete an entirely new masters program in order to enter into a PHD or medical school program? Would all my efforts thus far be lost? What are my options at this point other than teaching?
A. Congratulations on your upcoming completion of your masters degree! That is an accomplishment! Unfortunately, I cannot completely answer your question, as each college and university has different requirements for their graduate programs. There are many ways to accomplish your goal. You do not necessarily have to stick with psychiatry to get there, you may also reach your goal by entering the field of psychology. I would assume that your masters degree will be a Masters of Education (M.Ed.). If that is so, you may be able to move into the field of psychology rather quickly, by taking only a few additional courses. Many Colleges of Education offer an M.Ed.D., as opposed to a Ph.D., or Psy.D.) in counseling Psychology. These programs grew out of school guidance counseling, which is why they are often offered in colleges of education. They are different from Clinical Psychology programs in that they are geared more toward helping people deal with problems of living, rather than the severe psychiatric disorders. They usually include child development courses, as well as, psychological theory training and counseling skills training. If your program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), it will prepare you for your counseling internship and prepare you for licensure in your state as a masters level counselor. Each state has different licensure requirements, so you will have to look into what those are for your state. There will probably be numerous options available to you with this type of degree, especially within the school system. With your teaching background, you will most likely be well prepared to become a school counselor. However, you may be able to work in non-profit settings, open a private counseling practice, or work as an employee assistance program counselor, as well as many other psychological arenas, depending on the licensure rules for your state. Many colleges and universities today do not require you to have a masters degree in order to begin a doctoral degree program. In fact, some prefer that you only have a bachelors degree and you receive your masters as part of the doctoral program, so you may not have to complete a new masters degree at all. You may have to take the GRE and/or the Psychology GRE to be accepted into one of these programs, depending on that school's requirements. The APA publishes a book on APA accredited graduate programs in psychology in the U.S. that you may want to pick up. It is a great resource and will tell you, for each program, what their entry requirements are, what their degrees offered are, what their areas of specialty are, who their professors are, what areas of research they are pursuing, and whether the program is more weighted toward research or practice. If you are interested in attending medical school, you will first have to take the MCAT, which is the entry exam required by most med schools. This will probably be the longest and most grueling route to follow and when you are finished, you will actually be a medical doctor, and able to prescribe medications. This is the only way to become a Psychiatrist, as these are all M.D.s. The major difference between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist is that as a Psychologist, even though you are a doctor, you are not a medical doctor, and cannot prescribe medication. I suggest you give some serious consideration to what you would like to do in the field of child/adolescent psychiatry (or psychology) and do some research to see which direction will be the best option for you. Whether you pursue another masters in clinical or counseling psychology, or a doctoral degree in psychology, or become an M.D., all of your efforts so far may not be lost. You will have many, many options available to you in the end. Whatever path you choose, make sure the program you select is accredited and meets the licensure requirements for your state. Once you are licensed either as a counselor or a psychologist, your options are almost virtually unlimited and will simply require exploring the marketplace in your area as to the opportunities available to you. Best of luck to you!
CMI Career Management International

If you have a question for CMI, please send email to jobbox@cmi-lmi.com with "Question for CMI" in the subject line.

TipsArchive \| About Our Counselors \| Career Management International