Psychiatrists are medical doctors who treat mental illnesses through medication and/or talk therapy. They consult with clients to determine potential mental health conditions, and they also conduct tests to see if there is a physical underlying problem contributing to the disorder.
When it comes to the skills section of your psychiatrist job description, you will want to highlight listening and communication skills. This is because it is common for psychiatrists to observe behavior patterns of individuals and groups to determine how well an individual relates to others and the environment. They also study cognitive and emotional experiences and social interactions.
It is also important to ensure that they have the proper education and licensure to study psychiatry. Review the example psychiatrist job description to discover other items to list in your posting.
Psychiatrist Job Summary
Join our team as a psychiatrist and become an integral part of a small, family-run practice with a patient-first focus. You will have the opportunity to provide holistic, integrated care to adults in a collaborative environment for mind-body healing. In addition to facilitating ongoing patient care, you will provide emergency psychiatric consultations and offer recommendations for hospitalization or intensive outpatient care. Many of our patients are referred from local doctors and hospitals. As part of our team, you will have ample opportunities for research and publication, as well as continuing education. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of our field and wish to provide space for the development of our practitioners.
Job Responsibilities
- Diagnose mental health conditions based on patient health history, discussions with the patient and information provided from relatives and other health professionals
- Administer and/or prescribe pharmaceutical or psychotherapeutic interventions on an ongoing basis for treatment of behavioral, emotional or mental disorders
- Create individual patient protocols that incorporate multiple treatment methodologies, and make adjustments as needed for enhanced patient response
- Run diagnostic and laboratory tests on patients to learn additional information about their physical and/or mental health, as well as their improvement over time
- Communicate with additional mental and physical health professionals, such as physicians, psychologists, nurses and social workers, to provide seamless continuum of care
- Discuss treatment protocols and diagnoses with patient caregivers, and advise as appropriate
- Collaborate with other members of the team, and evaluate their diagnosis and treatment protocols upon request to ensure the best in patient care
- Attend conferences, conduct research, publish articles in peer review journals and engage in continuing education to remain aware of the latest innovations in the field
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine
- Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
- Current and valid license to practice psychiatry in the state
- Current and unrestricted DEA registration
Preferred:
- Hospital or ER experience
- Minimum three years’ clinical practice in psychiatry
Psychiatrist Job Responsibilities
You don’t need to get Freudian to know what does and doesn’t work in a good psychiatrist job description. If you’re using obsolete methods for writing job descriptions, you aren’t attracting the best candidates. Lengthy, tedious descriptions turn qualified candidates away. The longer the job description, the harder it is to identify core responsibilities that tell jobseekers this is the right role for them. Hit on relevant points instead in the job responsibilities section. Treat it like a punch list, and create 4-6 well-crafted bullet points that succinctly cover the high points of the position.
Strengthen those bullet points further by beginning each sentence with an action verb. This is action-oriented writing, which eliminates passive language for a much more professional active voice. Use action-oriented writing in your psychiatrist job description to imbue your job advertisement with a sense of energy that allows jobseekers to visualize themselves as someone with vital impact on the organization.
We’ve provided a few sample psychiatrist job responsibilities:
- Evaluate and diagnose patients based on DSM-5 designations
- Develop plans for therapy, psychiatric counseling and possible behavioral medication
- Apply behavioral therapy to manage patients’ behavior in session
- Recommend individual or group therapy sessions based on patients’ needs
- Maintain detailed records of patient sessions, notes and medical files
Psychiatrist Job Specifications
Screening job applicants isn’t that different from diagnosis by exclusion. It’s a process of elimination where you have to cross off what jobseekers don’t have before you look at the qualifications they possess. In this case, adding a list of 5-6 items in the job qualifications and skills section of your psychiatrist job description can significantly streamline that process, and eliminate unqualified candidates before their applications reach your inbox. Most jobseekers check for lists such as these to see if they meet the basic requirements for the job, and many don’t apply if they fall short.
While this process improves the quality of your talent pool, it also lets you work more quickly to screen applicants against criteria. Define these criteria by discussing with other licensed mental health professionals. Also communicate with your HR team to find out the mandatory requirements for education and board certification. Include this and other vital requirements in your psychiatrist job description to provide a clear standard of judgment.
Here’s an example of psychiatrist job specifications:
- Doctorate of Medicine from accredited institution; licensed and board certified
- At least five years of clinical practical experience
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to create a relaxed environment promoting patient comfort and safety
- Adherence to all statutes regarding patient confidentiality a must