Compare And Contrast Psychology Vs Psychiatry

PsyD vs MD

Most people go their entire lives without knowing that psychology and psychiatry are two different professional fields. Although they sound very similar, there are some defining characteristics that separate the two. Both professions treat patients with illnesses ranging from anxiety to schizophrenia. The most obvious difference between the two is their credentials. Psychologists are Doctors of Psychology (PsyD); psychiatrists, on the other hand, are Doctors of Medicine (MD). The names of the careers alone can show that difference. Psychology has the suffix “ology”, which means “study of the psyche”. Psychiatry, with the suffix “iatry”, means “medical treatment of the psyche.” On average, psychologists are in school for a total of twenty-three years. They go through the
The most common tests psychologists perform are personality and neuropsychological tests. Personality tests are used to dissect what is really going on in a patient’s mind. The first personality test that is still used today was developed in 1920. Personality tests are nothing more than generic questionnaires. A patient undergoing such a test would simply just sit there and honestly answer whatever question their doctor asks, but the trick is to not put much thought into the answers. Doctors prefer their patients to answer the questions posed with the first thing that comes to their mind. This response is most often the biggest indication of who the patient really is. Neuropsychological tests are a different from personality tests because they are much more specific. These tests are specifically designed to psychological function linked to a specific part of the brain. Neuropsychological tests are much more formal and can be more informative to psychologists. Although both professions conduct psychotherapy and research, psychology is less intense than