Medical students

What is psychiatry?

Psychiatry is a dynamic medical specialty. It focuses on the relationship between the mind and body. The ultimate goal is to support patients with mental illness, recovery, and a better quality of life.

As a psychiatrist in Scotland, you can work in lots of different settings, including hospitals, the community, care homes, health centres, and prisons.

Psychiatry is all of the following and more:

• More than just talking—It brings together the human experience, neuroscience, the power of medicine, genetics, how our minds work, the influence of social factors, and the impact it has on our lives.
• Diverse sub-specialties—There is a range of psychiatry sub-specialties that could match your interests:
  • Addictions
  • Child and Adolescent
  • Eating Disorders (ScotFED)
  • Forensic
  • General Adult
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Liaison
  • Medical Psychotherapy
  • Neuropsychiatry
  • Old Age
  • Perinatal
  • Social and Rehabilitation
• Holistic care—The focus is on the whole person, their history, environment, and hopes for recovery, not just their symptoms.
• Building rewarding relationships—In psychiatry, unique, long-term doctor-patient relationships are often built with patients, their families, and carers.
• High demand, big impact—According to the Scottish Health Survey 2023, the demand for mental health services in Scotland is increasing due to several factors, including the following:
  
  • cost of living crisis
  • loneliness and social isolation
  • digital media and academic pressure
  • minority stress and discrimination
  • long-term health conditions
  • COVID-19 pandemic
  • reduced stigma and increased awareness
  There is an ongoing need for psychiatrists in the NHS to meet this demand. Psychiatrists have a huge impact on individuals, families, and communities. You’ll see the life-changing impact of your work as you support patients through challenging times and guide them towards recovery.

Psychiatry also offers continuous learning, as research helps to shape evidence-informed practice and new treatments become available.

Preparing for a career in psychiatry

As a medical student in Scotland, medicine offers lots of exciting, challenging, and rewarding career options. If you want to make deep connections with patients and understand the human mind and complex emotions, psychiatry could be your ideal career path.

At medical school, you have a unique opportunity to do the following:

• explore what psychiatry can offer you
• gain psychiatry experience through placements
• get involved in medical school psychiatry associations
• prepare for your future steps towards a career in psychiatry

While in medical school, start building your path towards a career where you can really transform lives. 

Make the most of your psychiatry placements

Modern psychiatry is dynamic, evidence-based, and essential to holistic person-centred care. Clinical placements are your chance to get psychiatry experience as a medical student:

• Be curious—Engage with patients, listen actively, and ask questions where appropriate.
• Explore sub-specialties—There’s lots of variety, from general adult and old age psychiatry to child and adolescent, forensic, or liaison psychiatry.
• Observe a multidisciplinary team—See how psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, and social workers collaborate.
• Consider electives—If you can, an elective in psychiatry can provide valuable experience and help you confirm your interest outside of core rotations.

These experiences whilst in medical school are important first steps on your path to becoming a psychiatrist in Scotland.

Discover more about medical schools in Scotland.