Skip to Main Content

Geriatric Psychiatrists

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

There is no way to obtain direct experience in high school, but it's a good idea to take as many health and science classes as possible and participate in science clubs. During your medical training, you will gain experience by completing a four-year residency in internal medicine and psychiatry and at least one year of training in a geriatric psychiatry fellowship.

Geriatric psychiatrists need to be compassionate, patient, flexible, and intelligent. To be effective in their work, they must understand a vast array of medical, technical, and psychological information. They need analyzing and diagnosing skills, excellent listening skills, and administrative skills. Decision-making ability, time-management skills, and writing skills are also important in this career. Like any doctor, they must be committed to lifelong learning in order to keep up with advancements in the field, such as new medications.

Perhaps most important, though, geriatric psychiatrists must enjoy working with older people, listening to them and helping them with their unique set of problems. A successful geriatric psychiatrist must have a firm belief that, with the right treatment, mentally ill seniors can get relief from their pain and lead improved and fulfilling lives.

Related Professions