Clinical Psychologist or Psychiatrist?

It's your choice. If you have an interest in medical issue combined with psychological one, then -psychiatry is the area you want. But they are expensive and firms etc., most often opt for psychologists. It's YOUR choice and based upon your psychological nature. AND upon your willingness to pay for the tuition for YEARS beyond graduation.

The form of coaching every receives is the important difference. Psychiatrists first attend scientific institution and then focus on psychiatry. That suggests they seem at issues from a clinical or illness standpoint. And that's the purpose why treatment is a main software for psychiatrists. Clinical psychologists obtain a doctoral measure that does not contain clinical training. As a substitute, they are expert as scientists and procedure issues from a scientist / practitioner point of view. So despite the fact that both have doctoral degrees, that doesn't mirror the variations within the coaching they acquire (in any case, that you may get a doctoral degree and be a dentist, an english professor, or a physiotherapist.) The doctoral measure suggests a stage of coaching, but no longer the type of training.

It depends on what interests you for your career. If you enjoy the sciences and prefer to get a well-paying job, choose psychiatry. If you care more about training as a therapist or psychological examiner/assessor or doing psychological research *and* do not care as much about pay, then clinical psychology may be good for you.

Ultimately, you have to like what you are doing enough to withstand the 8-10 years of post-Bachelor's training it takes to be fully licensed and independent. (Expect at least 5-7 years of graduate school, plus about 1 year of post-doc, before licensure in clinical psychology.)

Both fields are in demand. I personally have not seen psychiatrists have any problems securing well-paying jobs. Especially if you go into independent private practice, psychologists may have a tougher time with financial security, though it is not difficult to find jobs in established institutions/organizations (e.g., VAs, hospitals, research centers, etc.) -- however, those jobs still pay close to half as much as what a psychiatrist would earn.

Becoming a clinical psychologist nowadays is tough because there are lots of potential difficulties along the way. If you are not lucky enough to get into a fully funded program (which is often more competitive than medical school, with admissions rates well below 10%), you would have to take out 100k-200k in loans. Also, there is a shortage of predoctoral internships (full-time clinical training required before graduation) right now, so about 25% of advanced doctoral students have to repeat a year.

As a psychologist you won't have hospital privileges nor would you be able to prescribe medications. Most people in either practice don't look for jobs so much as they set up practices in communities that will support them. There are formulas that gauge the number of physicians needed according to the population in a given area.

Choose psychiatry. Give it a chance, you can always drop out of medical school and become a psychologist.

If you are good at what you do, and you enjoy doing it, you will be able to make a good salary and you will be able to work where you wish. Pay and opportunity also depend on the specialties you choose.

There are plenty of job opportunities for both psychiatrists and psychologists.... the deciding factor in employment is whether you are good at your job. Frankly, focusing on "my salary some day" will neither get you through medical school nor will it get you through a clinical psychology program.

The job descriptions, pathways of study, and trainings are dramatically different for psychiatrists and psychologists... they are nowhere near the same training experience at all, and the fact that you are comparing these fields of study demonstrates that you have very little knowledge of psychiatry as well as psychology.

I'd focus on your interests, aptitudes, and skills rather than on your imagined job opportunities and pay at this point. For example, would you enjoy medical school?