As per the reports of Economic Times, in India there is gap between the experts and mental health patients. As reported the current rate of psychiatrists available in India is 0.75% per 1 lakh population.
Thus, it seems to be perfect time for opting career which can help to resolve the increasing mental health issues in India and also across the globe. To do the same, MD Psychiatry is one of the important programs to be pursued for the well-being and treatment and mental diseases of people.
MD Psychiatry is a 3 year duration post graduate program which can be pursued after obtaining a medical degree from a recognized university.
What is MD Psychiatry?
The complete form of MD Psychiatry is Doctorate of Medicine in Psychiatrist which is a post graduate degree course. Generally, Psychiatrists are mental health doctors specialized in mental training and treatment of mental disorders and accordingly authorized to prescribe medicine for the medication of the patient.
The aforesaid program helps the candidate to do research and understand the psychiatric syndrome such as psychotic mood, anxiety disorder, depression syndrome and many more mental illness. After completion of MD in Psychiatry one can work in government as well as private institutions or clinics as a counselor.
Apart from that a candidate having MD Psychiatry degree can also be appointed as colleges, industries and school as a counselor.
Highlights: MD Psychiatry Course
| Degree | Doctorate |
| Full-Form | Doctorate of Medicine in Psychiatry |
| Duration | 3 Years |
| Minimum Percentage | 50% |
| Subjects Required | Physics, Chemistry and Biology |
| Age | No age limit |
| Average Fees Incurred | INR 42,000 – 12.3 Lakh per annum |
| Employment Roles | Psychiatrist, Neurology Product Specialist, Psychiatry Professor, , Lecturer etc. |
| Average Salary Offered | INR 5 Lakh per annum |
| Employers | Rehabilitation Centers, Government Hospitals, Private Hospitals, Mental Heath Clinics, NGOs etc |
Syllabus for MD Psychiatry
MD Psychiatry program has a vast syllabus wide range of subjects. However, the syllabus can be different from college to college/University to university. An overview of the syllabus for MD Psychiatry program is provided below;
1st Year
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Second Messenger Systems and Beyond | Biological Basis of Schizophrenia |
| Excitatory Amino Acids in Psychiatric Disorders | Etiology and Clinical Profile of Dementias |
| Information Processing: Brain Models of MindSleep and Dreaming | Concept and Typology of Personality Disorders |
| Chronobiology | Course, Outcome and Prognosis of Schizophrenia |
| Second Messenger Systems and BeyondBasic and applied | Clinical Psychiatry |
| Electrophysiology | Approaching to Psychiatric Diagnosis and Classification |
| Basic sciences | Brief and Reactive Psychosis |
| Excitatory Amino Acids in Psychiatric Disorders | Concept and Typology of Personality Disorders |
| Transcultural Psychiatry | Paranoid Disorders |
| Aggression: Psychology and Biology | Course and Outcome of Mood Disorders |
| Experimental Animal Research and Implications for Mental Disorder | Organic Delusional, Mood and Personality Disorders |
| Learning Theories | Subtypes of Depressive Disorders and their Clinical Relevance |
| Intelligence | Etiological Theories of Mood Disorders |
| Neuropeptides and their relevance to Psychiatry |
2nd Year
| Third Semester | Fourth Semester |
| Management of premature ejaculation | Drug treatment of generalized anxiety and panic disorder |
| Somatization disorders: Diagnosis and clinical features | Antidepressant drug therapy |
| Reactions to severe stress | Management of a suicidal patient |
| Habit and impulse disorders | Pathophysiology and management |
| Nosological status and clinical features of Neurasthenia | Comparative pharmacology of antipsychotic drugs |
| Non-organic sleep disorders | Scientific evaluation of the efficacy of psychotherapy: methodological problems |
| Current concept of dissociative disorders | Brief dynamic psychotherapies |
| Anxiety disorders | Comparative pharmacology of antipsychotic drugs |
| Current concept of dissociative disorders | Supportive psychotherapies |
| Non-organic sleep disorders | Electro-convulsive Therapy: current trends |
| Nosological status and natural history | Role of Lithium in Psychiatric disorders |
| Biological basis of anxiety | Cognitive therapies |
| Scientific evaluation of efficacy of psychotherapy: methodological problems | |
| Behavioural therapies | |
| Supportive psychotherapies |
3rd Year
| Fifth Semester | Sixth Semester |
| Current Issues in Management of Elderly Psychiatric Patients | Psychological Aspects of Cardio-vascular Disorders |
| Epidemiology of psychiatric Illness in Old Age with Special Reference to India | Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry |
| Classification of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders. | Psychiatric Syndromes with Epilepsy |
| Learning Disorders of Childhood | The Terminally Ill Patient and Family |
| Indian Mental Health Act | Delirium: Differential Diagnosis and Management |
| Pervasive Developmental Disorders of Childhood | Neuro-psychiatric Sequelae of HIV Infection |
| NeuroPsychological Assessment of Children | Psychological Aspects of Breast Cancer. |
| Integration of Mental Health into Primary Care – Its Role and Future in India. | Concept and Assessment of Disability |
| School Refusal | Assessment and its Relevance to Psychiatric Diagnosis and Management |
| Integration of Mental Health into Primary Care – Its Role and Future in India. | Obesity |
| Psychological Aspects of Organ Transplantation | |
| Neuro-psychiatric Sequelae of HIV Infection | |
| Dementia: Differential Diagnosis and Management | |
| Psychiatric Syndromes with Epilepsy | |
| Psychological Aspects of Gastro-intestinal Disorders |
Eligibility Criteria for Admission to MD Psychiatry
The following are some of the eligibility criteria which need to be fulfilled to get admission into MD Psychiatry course;
- A candidate must be a medical student with degrees including UMS, IAMS, BPT, DHMS, BHMS, BAMS, BIAMS, BNYT, BATS, MBBS, BDS, DMS,BASM, BEMS, B.Pharma in order to pursue MD Psychiatry.
- The eligibility criteria to enroll into the MD Psychiatry program is largely based on both entrance based as well as merit based in India. Some of the well known examination to be cleared to get admission in to MD Psychiatry is GATE and NEET PG.
- In case a candidate wants to study MD Psychiatry outside India then in such case the candidate or student has to clear the MCAT examination with an average passing score of 511 or more than that. Apart from that the candidate also needs to pass the IELTS examination with a passing of score of 7.0.
Top Universities for Pursuing MD psychiatry Abroad/Outside India
The following are some of the nest universities across the globe to pursue MD psychiatry;
- Harvard University, United States of America (USA)
- Yale University, United States of America (USA)
- University of Oxford, United Kingdom (UK)
- University College London, United Kingdom (UK)
- Stanford University, United States of America (USA)
- King’s College London, United Kingdom (UK)
- University of Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Canada
- University of California–Los Angeles, United States of America (USA)
- Columbia University, United States of America (USA)
- University of Amsterdam, United States of America (USA)
Top Colleges for Pursuing MD Psychiatry in India
The following are some of the nest universities across the globe to pursue MD psychiatry;
- Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, Delhi
- KPC medical college and hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal
- AFMC Pune – Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra
- Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka
- Johns Medical College, Banglore, Karnataka
- MS Ramaiah Medical College, Banglore, Karnataka
- IMS BHU Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu
- Grant Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- AIIMS, New Delhi, Delhi
Fee Structure for MD Psychiatry
The fees for MD Psychiatry program differ from college to college in India. However, the average fees for the MD Psychiatry program ranges between INR 25,000 – 20 Lakh per annum provided it may vary considering different factors such as faculty, location, facilities provided by the college etc.
A table containing the details of fee structure of some of the recognized and popular educational institutions in India is provided below;
| Name of the Institute | Average Annual Fees (in INR) |
| Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi | 55,000 |
| All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi | 80,000 |
| Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh | 45,000 |
| Department of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College, Tamil Nadu | 4,00,000 |
| Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai | 20,00,000 |
MD Psychiatry: Admission Process
In order to pursue MD Psychiatry a candidate should check some important aspects and one he or she satisfied with the eligibility criteria can proceed forward. The admission can be done through both offline as well as online mode.
The details of admission process into MD Psychiatry are provided below;
How to Apply?
The details of the program MD Psychiatry admission can easily be assessed form the official website of the colleges offering the MD Psychiatry program. The registration form for admission can be available in both and offline and online mode depending upon the educational institution offering the course.
The eligibility criteria must be checked basing on the information provided on the website.
Selection Process
The selection process for admission into MD Psychiatry course is mainly based on marks obtained by the candidate from the entrance examination. The selection is also based on the marks obtained by the candidate in his or her medical undergraduate examination.
The candidate must be aware of the results through a professional email or else the candidate can login to the official website of the university to know the results.
Entrance Examinations
Mostly, all the best colleges in India offering MD Psychiatry course primarily conduct admission basing on the results of the entrance examination. Some of the top entrance examination to get admission into MD Psychiatry course is mentioned below;
- NEET PG
- NEET
- OJEE
- GATE
A Glance at the Entrance Examination Pattern for taking admission into MD Psychiatry is provided below;
- The application form and the mode of entrance examination offered to the candidate to attend can be both online as well as offline.
- It is to be noted that only questions are based on the chosen by the candidate on a specific program.
- The entrance examination can be conducted in both online and offline mode consisting of 100 questions basing on the area of specialization selected by the candidate.
- The maximum duration for the entrance examination is 2 hours which is provided to the candidates to solve the questions.
Reasons to Pursue MD Psychiatry
MD Psychiatry can be regarded as a rewarding career option for the candidates aspiring to pursue this course. This course helps to prepare candidates for the treatment of patients suffering from mental illness for the well-being of society.
Completion of this course will provide a wide range of career opportunities for the students. A graduate in MD Psychiatry provides a variety of job opportunities such as Behavioral Specialist, Prison Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychiatrist, Child and Adolescent, Staff Psychiatrist, Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist, and Neuropsychiatrist in Public as well as private sector undertakings.
Scope for Higher Education after MD Psychiatry
As mentioned earlier, MD Psychiatry is a postgraduate program after completion of an undergraduate medical degree such as DMS, BHMS, MBBS etc so that they will be able to learn the treatment process and medicine for patients suffering from mental illness.
Similarly, some of the most prestigious higher education degrees options available for candidates after completion of MD Psychiatry are mentioned below:-
- PhD
- MS
- MS Psychiatry
Salary of MD Psychiatry Graduate
The average starting salary for an MD Psychiatry candidate is ranged between INR 5, 00,000 to INR 7, 00,000 per annum. The aforesaid salary range can be increased with time basing on skills and experience of the candidate. Also, the candidate completing the MD Psychiatry degree can obtain work experience and higher education.
Career Options after MD Psychiatry
MD Psychiatry candidates can have numerous career opportunities. Some of the career options after completion of MD Psychiatry are Behavioral Specialist, Prison Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychiatrist, Child and Adolescent, Staff Psychiatrist, Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist, and Neuropsychiatrist in Public as well as private sector undertakings. Some of the other career options available for graduates of MD Psychiatry are as follows;
Skills Required for Becoming a Good MD Psychiatry
MD Psychiatry candidates must develop good compassion and communication skills. Some of the important skills required to become a good MD Psychiatry are mentioned below:
- Better and Comprehension Understanding
- Ability to monitor the development of the situation
- Communication
- Compassion
- Empathy
- Resilient
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
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Question 1: Is it necessary to qualify NEET to take admission into MD Psychiatry?
Answer: In India, in order to pursue MD Psychiatry, a candidate must qualify the NEET examination to get admission in a reputed university. However, some of the universities and colleges also conduct admission on merit basis.
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Question 2: What is the duration of MD Psychiatry Course?
Answer: MD Psychiatry is a 3-year post graduate degree program.
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Question 3: Can a non-medical student pursue MD Psychiatry?
Answer: No, it is not possible as the eligibility criteria suggest that an undergraduate medical student from a recognized university is essential to take admission into MD Psychiatry.
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Question 4: What are the subjects covered in MD Psychiatry?
Answer: The subjects covered under MD Psychiatry course are prescription of psychiatric drugs, neurobiology, biopsychology, diagnosis of mental illness and lastly treatment of psychiatric disorders.
