if i want to be a psychiatrist what degree/ A levels would i need? im doing maths with stats, biology, spanish, music and psychology. i want to study experimental psychology at oxford, but would that be the right course for a career in psychiatry or would i have to study medicine?
also, what careers along the lines of clinical psychology could i get if i studied experimental psychology?
thanks 
#1 by Mitch on February 16th, 2012
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I’m also doing Biology and Psychology A-level.
Any way as I was looking too there are quite a few jobs for Psychologist allot being research based.
If you like Law Enforcement careers there are Criminal Psychologist, forensic Psychologist, other jobs include Psychiatrist, Sport Psychologist, Child Psychologist or you could teach Psychology and the list goes on really.
You could do Psychiatry Undergraduate or Postgraduate courses as well.
#2 by Fancy_Pants on February 16th, 2012
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You need to study medicine if you want to become a psychiatrist. But if you want to become a clinical psychologist, any general psychology undergraduate course will be OK as long as it is accredited by the BPS (which the Oxford course should be). It would be very helpful to have experience though, as postgraduate courses in clinical psychology are extremely competitive. You might want to consider doing an undergraduate course with a placement year so that you can spend a year in a clinical setting.
Just because you study experimental psychology in your undergraduate studies, doesn’t mean that you have to go into a particular line of clinical psychology work afterwards. There are basically two lines of clinical psychology: child and adult. But you don’t specialise until after your degree so don’t get too hung up on choosing a particular undergraduate course, as long as it is good and you have fun.
#3 by Scott on February 17th, 2012
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Psychology and psychiatry are two different things. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor, a psychologist is not a medical doctor. You have to go to pre-med school to be a psychiatrist. Most psychiatrists are involved in identifying disorders, labeling, and prescribing drugs. Psychologists are more involved with helping people to work through their problems and change behaviors and thought patterns that might be contributing to their mental health issues. Clinical and experimental psychology will take you down to different related paths. There is nothing wrong with studying some in experimental psychology if you plan to be a clinical psychologist, it will apply. Where your focus will be, you have to decide after one or two years of study at college.