by DrDave » Mon Jul 01, 2013 3:50 am
Rose,
Going an alternate route to getting your high school diploma won't keep you from becoming a psychiatrist; however, you would need to be an exceptional student to do so. You would have to get good enough grades in your high school education to get into college. You would need to have excellent grades in college, taking the required pre-med courses, as well as whatever else is needed to graduate. You would have to do well enough on your MCAT exam to be considered for medical school. You would have to apply and get accepted to medical school. That will be the hardest part. During your last year of medical school, you would apply for residency programs in psychiatry. Psychiatry residency programs are not overly competitive unless you are looking at the top programs. If you are good enough to get into medical school, you should be able to match in a psychiatry residency some where.
So - in a nutshell: Do well enough finishing your high school degree to get into college; be an excellent college student (4 years); go to medical school (4 years); complete a psychiatry residency (4 years).