For more education-related articles, you may also refer to, How to be a Podiatrist Do Podiatrists go to Medical School
For more education-related articles, you may also refer to, How to be a Podiatrist Do Podiatrists go to Medical School
Who is a Psychologist
A psychologist is a licensed mental health expert who teaches you how to manage your mental health issues in healthy ways. Psychologists may work with patients in private offices or other places like nursing homes, jails, schools, hospitals, rehab facilities, etc. They can support you if you are going through difficult times in life. It may be situations like getting out of the loss of someone you love, depression, or anxiety.
Do you need to go to Medical School to become a psychologist Do psychologists go to medical school
No, to become a Psychologist you do not need to attend medical school. Though you will need to get into a graduate school to get an MS degree in Psychology. Many students first get their MS degree and then Ph.D. Degree but many of them combine their masters as well as Ph.D. to make the process more efficient.
How to become a Psychologist
To become a Psychologist, you will have to follow the steps given below-
Complete the Undergraduate Degree
To become a Psychologist the first step is to complete a four-year undergraduate degree program. Although you can get an undergraduate degree in any subject, you must try to take up the major subject which is related to this field. You can take up social work, sociology, or psychology, as your major subject.
For more education-related articles, you may also refer to, How to be a Podiatrist Do Podiatrists go to Medical School
Going to Graduate Schools
The next step in your journey is to complete your masters degree from a graduate school. As discussed earlier to become a Psychologist you will not need to go to a medical school but to graduate school. You will only get the license to work after completing your Masters degree followed by a doctoral degree. You must check the state requirements of the career you choose.
Completing an internship
You must gain the experience required for becoming a licensed psychologist. Therefore you will need to complete the required number of hours needed to get the license. You will need around 1500-2000 hours of clinical experience to get the license for legal practice.
Applying for License
The next stage in your journey is applying for a license for legally practicing. The license which you need will depend upon your state. To obtain a license you will need to clear an examination for professional practice in Psychology. This exam is accredited by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPB).
How much do you earn as a Psychologist
How much you earn depends on what type of Psychologist you are and also in which state you are living. Although an average pay for a Psychologist is $81,040 with the average of the people getting a lower salary at $47,850 and the highest at $133,890. Also, BLS has projected that job opportunities in this field are expected to increase by 8% by 2030.
Types of Psychologists
Following are the main 5 types of Psychologists available-
Clinical Psychologist
This is one of the main types of Psychologists. As a Clinical Psychologist, you will be dealing with the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of mental disorders. You will be working in hospitals or private clinics. The main job of you is to know how to implement different techniques when treating the mental disorders of the students. You will not be giving any medical prescription but will be performing other treatment plans to help your patient.
Cognitive Psychologists
As a Cognitive Psychologist, you will be dealing with how different people think. You will help them in developing skills like Problem-solving and decision-making. You will be responsible for analyzing how your brain processes, stores, utilizes information, etc. As a cognitive Psychologist, you will be working in a variety of institutions like Universities, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, etc.
Counseling Psychologists
These are mostly similar to the ones who are clinical Psychologists. You will be helping people facing behavioral problems, psychological disturbances, emotional difficulties, stress, etc.
Developmental Psychologists
They are the doctors who work on human development for the whole lifespan. As a Developmental Psychologist, you will be evaluating the factors due to which the patient is not growing properly. You may focus on some specific periods like early childhood, adolescence, adulthood, etc.
Health Psychologists
They are the psychologists who examine how Psychology, biology, social groups, etc influence illness and overall health. As a Health Psychology, you will be treating clients with several health-related issues. You will be helping the patients by providing them with psychotherapy.
How much time does it take to become a Psychologist
Depending upon the type of psychologist you want to become, you may have to spend time between 8 years-12 years after high school. Starting with four years for the undergraduate degree, 2-3 years for your masters degree, and 1 year for internship. Though in some specialties you may need to complete your Ph.D. as well. It may add up to 1 to 2 yrs in your education.
Conclusion
A psychologist is a person who deals with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. As a Psychologist, you will need to deal with the patients with full patience as you may be dealing with a situation that may be hard for them. Depending on the type of Psychologist you are, you will be treating the patient with different psychological techniques. Although unlike other doctors you are not required to attend medical doctors. You need to attend simple graduate schools instead.
This post is last updated on hrtanswers.com at Date : 1st of September – 2022