You’ll need to complete the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) or a similar college-based military training program, a bachelor’s degree program, and medical school to become a military psychiatrist. There are several options for achieving these objectives, and you should discuss them with a military recruiter and a college adviser. Regardless of which path you take, becoming a military psychiatrist can take up to 12 years of education and training. In general, the primary responsibilities of a military psychiatrist are similar to those of a civilian psychiatrist, with the exception that you will be trained to deal with mental disorders common in combat.
The most common route to becoming a military psychiatrist is to complete your ROTC and bachelor’s degree program before serving in the military for at least four years. If you serve for a certain amount of time on active duty, you may be eligible for military funding for medical school. Enlisting prior to medical school may allow you to meet the age requirement for your chosen branch of service, which is based on the age requirements of most branches of the military. Before re-enlisting in the armed forces after four years of active duty, you should attend medical school and complete your psychiatry residency.
A second option is similar in that you must finish your bachelor’s degree program and participate in ROTC before applying for the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (AFHPSP). Due to the competitive nature of this program, you must have academic excellence in your undergraduate studies, a bachelor’s degree with a medical focus, and outstanding scores on the Medical College Admissions Test to be considered (MCAT). Only a limited number of people are chosen for the AFHPSP, which is designed to cover all medical school and living expenses in exchange for a commitment to certain terms. Most of these programs require you to serve on active duty for a set amount of time each year and to commit to a long period of service after becoming a military psychiatrist.
You could be in charge of examining, diagnosing, and treating military personnel and their families if you become a military psychiatrist. You may be required to have in-depth knowledge of mental disorders caused by warfare and their effects on enlisted personnel’s families. The length of service required varies depending on which branch of the military you join.