My question is regarding psychiatry education. My first question would be: Just how hard is D.O. medical school? Second: After med school, how much should you expect to earn as a resident? Third: After residency do you have to specialize before you can get licenced to have your own practice? Fourth: I love the idea of psychiatry, but at some point will I begin to tell myself: "There goes my youth?" Last: Do patients see a "licenced mental health practitioner" with enough respect to choose them as easily as they would a psychiatrist?
Sorry for the delay in replying - things have been a little hectic lately. I had typed up a response, and while searching for some other info I lost what I had typed. So, here goes again.
1) DO School - generally a little easier to get into than MD schools. Curriculum is almost identical except for the extra "manipulation" coursework, which I think is only 1 extra class for the first year. I would guess that the program may actually be a little harder on the students because they are slightly lower caliber and thus the school may want to weed people out a little more. Not really sure though as I did allopathic program, no osteopathic.
2) As for Residents salaries, you can always check out: Freida Database which has tons of information you would want for looking at residency programs. For Combined Internal Medicine / Psychiatry residency programs, they list the average first year resident salary at $38,064. I would estimate that salaries go about about $1000 per year, plus a cost of living increase.
3) I'm not positive on all of the licensing questions, but from what I recall, you can get a resident license upon completion of medical school. After your first year of residency, when you have passed step III of USMLE, you can then get a permanent license. This would allow you to practice independently if you wanted, but you wouldn't be eligible for any board certification at that point. Once you are done with residency, you are then board eligible. You do not have to be board certified to practice medicine, but some insurance plans may prefer that you are board certified, and some jobs occasionally pay higher if you are board certified.
4) Becoming a doctor does take a long time. Generally 4 years of college, 4 years of med school, then minimum 3 years of residency. Unlike most other graduate schools, medical school is truly hellish. The pressure is no longer really on passing, but on surviving.
5) I'm not sure what you mean by a "licensed mental health practitioner" - I think that could mean a lot of different things. Typically people will go see whatever their insurance company will pay for and recommend. I think there are many people who would prefer to see a psychologist (non-MD) to a psychiatrist because psychiatrists typically focus more on the medication aspect and some people don't want medications. Some people prefer MD's either because they prefer the medication approach or because they think the MD's more extensive education / training will make them more helpful. I know many psychologists who are much more effective at what they do than many psychiatrists I've met.