In clinical practiceContinuity and community
Psychiatry
Medicine of the mind, practised through conversation and care over time.
At a glance
- Training after MBBS
- Three years of postgraduate training after MBBS.
- Time and predictability
- Largely clinic-based once trained, with some on-call.
- Geographic flexibility
- Needed everywhere, but language, culture and licensing shape practice.
- Room to build your own
- Consulting practice and teleconsultation need little capital.
- AI exposure
- Documentation and screening tools may help; the therapeutic relationship is hard to automate.
Contents · 9 sections
The work
Assessing and treating mental illness with medicines, psychological approaches and social support, often over long periods and alongside psychologists, families and other teams.
Where you might work
- Hospital psychiatry units and outpatient clinics
- Private consulting practice
- De-addiction and rehabilitation services
- Teleconsultation
Getting there
MBBS, then MD Psychiatry or the DNB equivalent.
How long: Three years of postgraduate training after MBBS.
Skills that matter
- Deep listening
- Comfort with uncertainty and slow change
- Risk assessment
- Working with families and therapists
The life it gives you
Outpatient and consulting work is often predictable; inpatient and emergency psychiatry bring on-call. The emotional load is real and needs looking after.
Needed everywhere, but language, culture and licensing shape practice. Consulting practice and teleconsultation need little capital.
Money
Private consulting practice and teleconsultation are common routes. Income depends on caseload, setting and city.
What shapes income most
- Hospital or private practice
- Caseload and consultation model
- City
Weighing it up
What it offers
- Long relationships and meaningful change
- Independent practice needs little capital
- Well suited to remote consultation
What it costs
- Emotional weight
- Slow, uncertain progress
- Stigma that patients carry into the room
On AI: documentation and screening tools may help; the therapeutic relationship is hard to automate.
Who may enjoy it
You may find this path suits you if:
- you are curious about people’s stories
- you are patient
- you see conversation as clinical work
Related paths
- Family medicine and general practiceFirst contact, whole person, for years.
- Internal medicineThe detective work of adult medicine, across every organ system.
- Digital health and informaticsBuilding the health system’s digital layer.
- Medical educationTeaching the next generation of doctors.
Further reading
- Choosing a specialty with your eyes openIn preparation
- Choosing a specialty: the RICH DOCTOR guideIn preparation