ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => Universities - Victoria => University of Melbourne => Topic started by: bomb on December 30, 2010, 01:14:47 am

Title: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on December 30, 2010, 01:14:47 am
So I went to the open day and the person at the Biomed stand told me to get a Master in Psychiatry...which is not on the website LOL.

Which path do I follow to get into psychiatry? Thanks xD

Also, I'm a little conflicted. I want to do psychiatry, but the subjects in Biomed look boring (all the biology stuff). I like BSc with heaps of maths and chemistry with a breadth track of IT. That would be the most interesting course for me. Should I put up with Biomed for Psychiatry or do Bsc and settle for Psychology?

Thanks.

Edit: would I even have a chance of getting into BBiomed 2nd round because I'm from an under-rep school?
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: TrueLight on December 30, 2010, 01:42:43 am
um really not that sure about this but i believe to become a psychiatrist you have to do a medical degree and then specialise in psychiatry because a psychiatrist is a doctor

you could do science and do honours in psychopharmacology but that is more the research side i believe

so if you dont get into undergrad medicine you have to do graduate medicine

its up to you whether you want to do psychology (i think its better than giving patients drugs for mental conditions but its up to you)

do what your interested in you can major in pharmacology with both biomed or science if you take that route or major in psychology

yep see here its a nice diagram it would be the same elsewhere http://www.med.monash.edu.au/psych/students/psychiatry-paths.html
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: TrueLight on December 30, 2010, 02:41:33 am
oh wait so your interested in chemistry and maths but want to do psychology and pharmacology (i.e. drugs)

do you really want to become a psychiatrist? you say the biology stuff is boring
what makes you really interested in psychiatry?
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Glockmeister on December 30, 2010, 03:19:16 am
Perhaps you'd confused it with the Master of Psychology?
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: TrueLight on December 30, 2010, 03:26:34 am
i assume he meant this
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2011/342AA
"The course aims to develop the knowledge and skills of medical practitioners"
"offered to RANZCP trainees and other medical practitoners"
"Applicants need to have a current registration with the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria"

so yep you need to have done medicine
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on December 30, 2010, 11:09:09 am
Oh, thanks for finding that Truelight!

Thanks guys. I'm really sure I want to do either psychiatry or psychology, I'd rather psychiatry because there are a lot of job oppurtunities for that.

I'm really noobish at this uni stuff, so can I do BBiomed and then MoP or do I need to do Doctor of Medicine first?

I can put up with theh biology stuff, but I just enjoy Maths/Chem a lot.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on December 30, 2010, 11:12:38 am
Do you want to do psychology or psychiatry?
If you want to do psychology, then do a BSc, major in it and then do a Masters.
If you want to do psychiatry, do science or biomedicine, get into the MD program, do your internship and then get into the specialization program

Psychiatry is a longer and harder pathway, that's why there are more job opportunities
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on December 30, 2010, 11:20:11 am
I want to do psychiatry, that's my first preference. But it's going to go for a whole lot longer, so I'll go for Clinical Psychology instead :)

Thanks guys!
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on December 30, 2010, 11:31:35 am
You probably don't have to decide until after you finish your first degree I guess.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Visionz on December 30, 2010, 12:00:04 pm
Becoming a fully qualified psychiatrist takes over 9000 years.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on December 30, 2010, 12:50:53 pm
You probably don't have to decide until after you finish your first degree I guess.

The guy told me that BBiomed won't let me do Clinical and BSc won't let me do Psychiatry :S

Becoming a fully qualified psychiatrist takes over 9000 years.

Visionz! I haven't seen you around since mid-year Psych. What did you get? :P
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on December 30, 2010, 01:51:35 pm
A BSc will let you do psychiatry (eventually, after the normal pathway) but yeah biomedicine doesn't have a psychology major
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on December 30, 2010, 04:17:49 pm
A BSc will let you do psychiatry (eventually, after the normal pathway) but yeah biomedicine doesn't have a psychology major

OMG, you serious? That's the best news I've heard since December 13th haha. Then how long does the MD program take? And what do I need to major in to get into that?
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on December 30, 2010, 04:36:20 pm
I don't know for sure, but based on what's been said in this thread about psychiatry being a medical specialty then yes, a BSc is fine for admission to the MD.

Your major doesn't matter, but you need to take certain subjects (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry) and sit an entrance exam. The MD is 4 years.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on December 30, 2010, 08:24:27 pm
Hmm, assuming I don't have to do honours, thats 3+4+3 = 10 years... :'(

Oh well, nevermind the time, it's what I want to do :D
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on December 30, 2010, 08:26:08 pm
Where did you get the last 3 from, I would think it'd be at least 6? (sorry haha)
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Slumdawg on December 30, 2010, 08:44:25 pm
I thought you could do a masters in psych after biomed? And major in neuroscience in biomed? :S  Doesn't it say psychology is a graduate pathway in the uni handbook. That's what I remember. Or did I read it wrong :'(
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on December 30, 2010, 09:08:31 pm
He wants to do psychiatry though, which isn't offered as a masters program. If he wants to do psychology then yes, masters degree.

And neuroscience/psychology majors are very different.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Slumdawg on December 30, 2010, 09:36:39 pm
He wants to do psychiatry though, which isn't offered as a masters program. If he wants to do psychology then yes, masters degree.

And neuroscience/psychology majors are very different.
Oh ok cool. So if you wanted to do psychiatry through biomed you'd need to do MD after, then do a masters in psychiatry after that as well? WOW. How much do they get paid! It must be heaps considering how qualified they need to be..

Thanks for the info though Russ!
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on December 30, 2010, 09:50:25 pm
You're not doing it "through" biomed, you're doing it after you graduate from a medical degree (any medical degree). Just as we have doctors becoming surgeons or GPs, Trudy can also become a psychiatrist. So money is on a par with other medical specialties.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on January 04, 2011, 05:50:53 pm
Where did you get the last 3 from, I would think it'd be at least 6? (sorry haha)

I got
Bsc 3 years
MD 4 years
Master of psychiatry 3 years? :S
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: vexx on January 04, 2011, 05:52:28 pm
Where did you get the last 3 from, I would think it'd be at least 6? (sorry haha)

I got
Bsc 3 years
MD 4 years
Master of psychiatry 3 years? :S

nope
BSc + MD (7 years)
Then you do 1 year internship, then 1-2 years of RMO1-2, and then you apply for specialty training for psychiatry which is 5 years.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on January 05, 2011, 02:56:28 pm
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2011/342AA

Isn't that only 3 years?

Either way it's too long, Psychology ftw :P
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: vexx on January 05, 2011, 03:15:47 pm
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2011/342AA

Isn't that only 3 years?

Either way it's too long, Psychology ftw :P

That's for already trained doctors if you read entry requirements.
"This course will be offered to RANZCP trainees and other medical practitoners with an identified interest in working with patients with mental illness. Applicants need to have a current registration with the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria."
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists=RANZCP, so that's the college where you undertake 5 years of training to be a psychiatrist. You apply to this college after 2 years of postgraduate training, so it takes about 7 years in total after finishing the MD.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: bomb on January 05, 2011, 03:25:39 pm
Thanks vexx :) +karma.

I'm noob as haha.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: vexx on January 05, 2011, 03:30:14 pm
Thanks vexx :) +karma.

I'm noob as haha.

ahh it's cool, since if you end up doing med you have soo many years before you decide what you want to do / how to get into it, so its fine :)
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: rustic_metal on January 05, 2011, 04:22:20 pm
It seems like psychiatry is something you decide to pursue years into your career, rather than something you set yourself on doing after high school.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: alciefrederic on January 08, 2011, 10:02:21 pm
I agree with rustic, psychiatry is the same as surgery or any other specialized med. Practically, you will be studying - doing Med and a GP for like 10 years until you can start being (more like studying to be) a psychiatrist. So are you sure you want to be a doctor? This is serious. 10 years is a long time, and it's not a breeze (it's medicine, duh). TO BE A PSYCHIATRIST, YOU HAVE TO BE A DOCTOR. You seem like you're unaware of who a psychiatrist actually is, and to me, that is no good.
Furthermore, psychiatry isn't as cool as television makes it out to be, you'll be facing a lot of nutjobs who are incredibly abusive and dangerous (especially if you work in the hospital, and you have no choice regarding this matter, especially in training years). Do notice that there is a fine difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist deals with actual mental diseases, yeah, diseases, clinical depression, schizophrenia, insanity, i.e. people who are, in fact, abnormal and very dangerous, while a psychologist simply deals with emotional problems that a normal person might have. Working with crazy people might seem interesting to you now, but do, do pay attention to the fact that you will not work with them in 1 or 2 years, but for the rest of your life (until you retire that is). This is one of the reason why psychiatrists are paid well. If the stress of a normal GP is 1 unit, expect a psychiatrist's stress level to be 5. And being surrounded by nutjobs might not be very good for your mental health. Granted, you might simply work as a consultant after becoming a psychiatrist, but that's not really worth the time + effort in becoming one. Furthermore, in training period, you are required to work with nutjobs.
Becoming a surgeon is more difficult though, I heard that some people only become a surgeon after their 40s, and work for like 5, 6 years until they are forced to retire (since they're too old for complicated operation). But the money in those 5, 6 years are, wow, totally worth it.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: Russ on January 09, 2011, 09:20:46 am
He will never have to be a GP if he wants to do psychiatry, not sure where that came from. And the portrayal of their career is quite harsh, especially given some of the major benefits that go with it.

But this is something I read yesterday and loved

Quote
A psychiatrist at a teaching center confirmed that 10 to 15
percent of psychiatric residents entered the program because
they believe themselves to be a little crazy, and want to confirm
this suspicion. As mentioned before, many medical students
entering this specialty have undergone psychotherapy.
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: mikee65 on January 09, 2011, 12:28:53 pm

A psychiatrist at a teaching center confirmed that 10 to 15
percent of psychiatric residents entered the program because
they believe themselves to be a little crazy, and want to confirm
this suspicion. As mentioned before, many medical students
entering this specialty have undergone psychotherapy.
[/quote]

That makes sense, the students who apply on such a personal basis would imo be successful
Title: Re: Psychiatry at Melbourne
Post by: mikee65 on January 09, 2011, 12:29:22 pm
I agree with rustic, psychiatry is the same as surgery or any other specialized med. Practically, you will be studying - doing Med and a GP for like 10 years until you can start being (more like studying to be) a psychiatrist. So are you sure you want to be a doctor? This is serious. 10 years is a long time, and it's not a breeze (it's medicine, duh). TO BE A PSYCHIATRIST, YOU HAVE TO BE A DOCTOR. You seem like you're unaware of who a psychiatrist actually is, and to me, that is no good.
Furthermore, psychiatry isn't as cool as television makes it out to be, you'll be facing a lot of nutjobs who are incredibly abusive and dangerous (especially if you work in the hospital, and you have no choice regarding this matter, especially in training years). Do notice that there is a fine difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist deals with actual mental diseases, yeah, diseases, clinical depression, schizophrenia, insanity, i.e. people who are, in fact, abnormal and very dangerous, while a psychologist simply deals with emotional problems that a normal person might have. Working with crazy people might seem interesting to you now, but do, do pay attention to the fact that you will not work with them in 1 or 2 years, but for the rest of your life (until you retire that is). This is one of the reason why psychiatrists are paid well. If the stress of a normal GP is 1 unit, expect a psychiatrist's stress level to be 5. And being surrounded by nutjobs might not be very good for your mental health. Granted, you might simply work as a consultant after becoming a psychiatrist, but that's not really worth the time + effort in becoming one. Furthermore, in training period, you are required to work with nutjobs.
Becoming a surgeon is more difficult though, I heard that some people only become a surgeon after their 40s, and work for like 5, 6 years until they are forced to retire (since they're too old for complicated operation). But the money in those 5, 6 years are, wow, totally worth it.
Anyone in your family a psychiatrist?