Becoming a child psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) specializing in brain disorders that affect mood, thinking and behavior. After medical school, a doctor trains at a residency program to learn how to treat mental illnesses in adults.

A child psychiatrist has already completed at least 3 of a 4 year general psychiatry residency, then does 2 additional years of training, a fellowship, to learn how to treat psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.