Geriatric Psychiatrists Job Description: Career Information, Training and Required Knowledge, Employment Outlook and Salary Expectations
Submitted by: Cheska Davenport
Job Overview: Geriatric psychiatrists are persons who attend to the mental, emotional and psychological needs and conditions of the elderly. They usually treat older patients who are on the verge of dementia or depression, as well as others who are suffering from mental illnesses. They use the different methods and principles of mental health care and psychiatry to treat these patients, such as prescribing medicine such as tranquilizers, antipsychotics and antidepressants to help them feel much better. Medications may also be incorporated with therapeutic approach, such as talk and discussion therapy. They also assist nursing home staff in formulating individualized treatment to improve the overall health care of patients.
Education, Knowledge and Training Required: To become a geriatric psychiatrist, one should first finish medical school as the primary requirement, with a concentration on geriatrics and psychiatry. Aspiring persons in this career may take up courses in gerontology, which cover topics such as sociology of aging and public policy matters which concern the elderly. Internship is also required in order to graduate from medical school, and one may find it beneficial to conduct residency in a hospital or nursing home in order to have a first-hand experience in taking care of the elderly.
Skills and Abilities: Geriatric psychiatrists not only need to pass the necessary educational requirements; they should also have to be compassionate, flexible, intelligent and patient. They need to produce effective services by means of understanding a vast array of technical, medical and psychological information which they will exercise on their patients. They need to have good judgment, time management abilities and the commitment to lifelong learning so that they can keep up with changing technologies and advancements in their field of study, including the use of new treatments, therapies and medications. Most of all, geriatric psychiatrists should enjoy working with older people and have the patience to listen to understand their own problems.
Tasks: Geriatric psychiatrists observe and monitor the emotional and mental well being of their patients, and these include checking them out on an everyday basis.
It is important for geriatric psychiatrists to determine the problems behind the behaviors of their elderly patients before they actually succumb to deeper problems such as depression and dementia, as these would require longer therapy and may affect their lives as a whole. They also exercise a variety of methods to evaluate the behavior of their patients to see how they articulate their thoughts and feelings, and come up with the necessary procedures to treat whatever problems that arise in the fastest possible manner. They also give advice and recommendations to the family members of their patients, so that they too can cope with whatever behavioral problems they may encounter with their elder loved ones.
Earnings and Job Outlook: The income of geriatric psychiatrists is determined by experience and expertise. At present, they earn an average of $140,000 per year. Those who work in nursing homes tend to earn bigger, plus benefits such as health and life insurance, vacations and leaves.
Cheska Davenport is a career search strategist who focuses on creating power resumes and providing job search advice that aim to help individuals achieve their target goals in the job market.
Latest Articles about: Careers
1: College Mathematics Professors: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook2: Mathematics Teacher: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
3: Medical Assistant: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
4: Mathematicians: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
5: Medical Ethicist: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Word Count: 522 Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 Time: 5:55 AM
Previous - Geographic Information Systems Specialists Job Description: Tasks, Required Skills, Education, Career Outlook and Salary | Next - Geriatric Care Managers Job Description: Duties, Knowledge and Training Requirements, Job Information