My typical workday consists of seeing 10 to 15 follow up appointments with patients I see every one to three months. We discuss symptoms they are currently struggling with, risks and benefits of medication, and therapeutic strategies. Additionally, I see one to three intake consultations daily where I meet someone for the first time to discuss what brings them in, their background/narrative, and their psychiatric/medical history. I also always assess for risk to make sure that patients are receiving the appropriate level of care and support. I appreciate that what takes up most of my time is patient care.

Day-to-day, I experience meaningful patient interactions, a collaborative and collegial work environment, and flexibility in work-life balance. I feel privileged to have found a career that brings me a strong sense of joy and fulfilment. It also comes with a responsibility that can weigh heavily at times. When working with patients, it is our duty to provide them with evidence-based, therapeutic, and individualized treatment. It is important to empathize, connect, and work together no matter where patients may be in their journey. It is especially important to validate, support, and empower patients to engage in their own treatment. I see my role as a collaborator, and it is my job to provide up-to-date information and psychoeducation for people to feel comfortable in making an educated choice about their minds and bodies. This is, simply put, easier said than done.

All healthcare workers should keep an eye out for provider fatigue and burnout, as the profession can become emotionally and physically taxing. That’s when we have to follow our own advice, which we are notoriously not the best at…

Pros

1. Your work as a psychiatrist lets you help others every day.

The most significant benefit of being a psychiatrist is that your work allows you to help someone every day. Your profession is entirely devoted to finding ways to provide assistance to those who need it the most. Whether you are working with someone who suffers from a mental illness, a traumatic experience, or substance abuse problems. The work you do will not only help the person you’re treating but everyone who is close to them. Mental illness can be very disabling socially and professionally. Therefore, helping someone get better, not only brings a functional person back to society but also improves their social relationships with their children, parents, siblings and other loved ones.

2. There is a lot of variety and some unpredictability to your work everyday which keeps it interesting.

It’s rarely a boring or repetitive day at work. No two people with the same diagnosis are alike. People change as they grow and so does their behaviour and thought process. It’s often inspiring to see people make brave choices in face of difficulties and work hard on changing lifelong negative patterns for self-improvement. You also grow as a person with your patients, for the better, into a more mature human being.

It is quite rewarding to help children, couples, and adults achieve their full potential.

Cons

1. When it comes to mental illness oftentimes there is treatment but no cure.

The nature of the illnesses and health issues that a psychiatrist attempts to treat is chronic. The goal is often to find stability, improve level of functioning or quality of life rather than a cure. Patients who have recovered may experience recurring episodes due to various reasons such as new stresses in life, medication stops working, patients stop taking medication. Most patients tend to need lifelong treatments to manage their condition.

2. It can be challenging to develop an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

Psychiatrists work with a wide variety of patients who can suffer from a vast array of health issues. Many of the issues can be challenging to identify because they manifest as psychological programs instead of physical ones and vice versa. There are no lab tests available to you in this field of work. It will be up to your experience, education, and intuition to discover what a patient’s problem might be.

Even when you do find the correct answer to a person’s health concerns, you may be unable to administer the treatment plan personally. It is not unusual for someone with bipolar disorder to stop taking their medication. Some people might think that there is nothing wrong with them, so they decide to disagree with your diagnosis and refuse to come back.

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