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Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists assess and provide treatment for people with mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. They also study how the brain and nervous systems function and how these interact with people's environments and affect the way people think, feel and behave.

Tasks & duties

Psychiatrists may do some or all of the following:

discuss mental and physical problems with patients and their families
work with patients and their families/whanau to understand mental disorders and the patients' likely responses to treatment
study patients' medical and psychiatric histories
examine the general physical condition of patients
carry out tests on patients, such as questionnaires, blood tests, or other diagnostic procedures
use the results of tests and examinations to determine treatments
prescribe and administer medication, psychotherapy and other treatments
work with other team members to coordinate rehabilitation and recovery programmes
educate trainee psychiatrists, other health professionals, families or whanau of patients, and the wider community
research mental disorders and their treatments
give evidence in court
lead multi-disciplinary teams in providing assessments and interventions with patients and caregivers
carry out administrative and clinical leadership roles

Specialisations

Psychiatrists may do subspecialty training through the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists in:

child and adolescent psychiatry
psychiatry of older people
forensic psychiatry (dealing with the connections between criminal behaviour and mental illness)
consultation-liaison psychiatry (in general hospitals)
drug and alcohol psychiatry
adult psychiatry
the psychotherapies

They may also work in other areas of psychiatry such as administrative psychiatry, pain management, eating disorders and early intervention or maternal mental health

Skills & knowledge

Psychiatrists need to have:

good communication and interpersonal skills to relate well to patients and colleagues
knowledge of psychiatric and medical disorders
knowledge of medicines and treatments, and the effects these have on patients
knowledge of anatomy and how the human body works
knowledge of different diseases and illnesses
diagnostic skills
knowledge of medical ethics and law
up-to-date knowledge of new research, treatments and practices
cultural competence in working with Maori and with people from a range of cultural backgrounds
decision-making and problem-solving skills
organisational and time management skills
analytical and interpreting skills
report writing skills
good computer literacy and typing skills, as most records are now electronic

Entry requirements

To become a psychiatrist you need to complete a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), and spend at least one year as a pre-registration house surgeon in a hospital. You then complete a minimum five years of specialist training and examinations to become a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).

Once training is completed, positions of employment can be obtained by responding to advertisements, or by direct enquiry to the clinical directors or HR departments of the district health board (DHB) mental health services.

Secondary Education

To enter tertiary training you need to have Bursary or NCEA equivalent. Useful subjects include maths with calculus and/or statistics, chemistry, physics, biology and English.

Tertiary education

To enter the MBChB you need to complete the first year of a Bachelor of Health Science or a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical) and undergo the Undergraduate Medicine and Health (UMAT) admission test where up to one-third of your first year final grade is determined by non-academic achievements. Alternatively you can complete a related health sciences degree and apply for graduate entry to the MBChB programme. Graduate applicants must also undergo the UMAT admission test.

Training on the job

Psychiatrists need to attend conferences and academic meetings regularly, and are involved in continuing education to keep up to date with new research and the latest medicines, and to maintain professional standards for their registration. Many psychiatrists spend time working overseas to broaden their skills and experience.

Registration

Psychiatrists need to be a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) and have vocational registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand.

Useful experience

Useful experience for someone planning to become a psychiatrist includes any work in the health sector, psychology or counselling, or work in support and advice services such as Lifeline or Citizens Advice Bureau.