Entry Level Qualification
Graduate
Degree Course Entrance Exam
CUET UG
Course Details
As is common across the medical field, candidates may choose among a number of popular specializations in MD Psychiatry. Some of these specializations include:
1. Clinical Psychiatry
2. Neuropsychiatry
3. Child Psychiatry
4. Behavioural Specialist
5. Prison Psychiatry
6. Forensic Psychiatry
Course Highlights
Here are some of the highlights of MD Psychiatry courses in India:
Name of the Course | MD Psychiatry |
Level | Postgraduate |
Duration | 3 Years |
Exam Type | Semester |
Minimum Qualification Requirement | MBBS + NEET-PG or equivalent |
Average Initial Salary | INR 2-8 Lakhs Per Annum |
Selection Process | Entrance Exams and Interviews |
Popular Entrance Exams for MD Psychiatry | NEET-PG, AIIMS-PG, JIPMER-PG |
Top MD Psychiatry Specialisations in India | Clinical Psychiatry Neuropsychiatry Child Psychiatry Behavioural Specialist Prison Psychiatry Forensic Psychiatry |
Minimum Aggregate Required for MD Psychiatry Admissions | 50-60% |
Major MD Psychiatry Recruiters | Fortis, Indian Council of Medical Research, Max Healthcare, Apollo Hospital, Educational Institutions, etc. |
Top MD Psychiatry Colleges in India | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Christian Medical College (CMC) Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) St John’s Medical College |
About Course
A three-year postgraduate medical program specializing in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of other mental health and related issues, the Doctor of Medicine in Psychiatry course can be pursued by graduates with an MBBS, BHMS, BDS, and DMS. With an immensely high demand for skilled and qualified psychiatrists in the country, choosing a career in the field will be highly rewarding, both financially and career-wise.
With hundreds of universities and medical colleges across the country offering the course to aspirants, aspirants have various options to choose from. However, those interested in pursuing the course will have to attempt and clear an entrance test like NEET UG or any other university-specific entrance test.
Why Choose Course And Required Skills
Inevitably, to become a good Psychiatrist or pursue an MD Psychiatry course, there are particular skill sets. Some of the skill sets include:
Communication: With one of the services provided by psychiatrists being counseling, having excellent communication skills will set candidates up for success from the beginning. Good psychiatrists should be able to use different communication tools and techniques to bring out the necessary information, to properly evaluate and diagnose a patient.
Sensitivity and Empathy: Among the necessary skills include sensitivity and empathy, wherein professionals are alert and understanding of the different challenging situations in their patients’ lives.
Perception: Understanding situations will include assessing the patients during their sessions. This includes discerning why a patient reacts in a certain manner to specific situations. Primarily, psychiatrists should be able to discern non-verbal cues that a patient may display during a session.
Eligibility
Listed below are some of the general eligibility criteria for MD Psychiatry in India, that candidates need to satisfy, regardless of the medical institution they are applying to:
1. All applicants should have an NMC-recognised MBBS degree with the required scores.
2. Typically, universities require candidates to present a minimum of 50-60% aggregate score during their MBBS. Some universities may also accept other medical degrees.
Entrance Exams Details
Some of entrance tests are as follows:
1. NEET-PG
2. INI CET
3. PGIMER
Degree Course Syllabus
As a graduate medical program, universities and colleges offering the course will include the following MD Psychiatry syllabus and subjects:
Year 1 |
Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
Learning Theories | Clinical Psychiatry |
Basic and applied Electrophysiology | Course, Outcome, and Prognosis of Schizophrenia |
Excitatory Amino Acids in Psychiatric Disorders | Biological Basis of Schizophrenia |
Consciousness | Etiological Theories of Mood Disorders |
Aggression: Psychology and Biology | Antisocial Personality Disorders |
Information Processing: Brain Models of Mind | Subtypes of Depressive Disorders and their Clinical Relevance |
Magnetic Resonance and Implications for Psychiatry | Organic Delusional, Mood, and Personality Disorders |
Year 2 |
Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
Reactions to severe stress | Psychological management of sexual dysfunctions |
Recent advances in eating disorders | Models of psychotherapy: An overview |
Anxiety disorders | Supportive psychotherapies |
Biological Basis of Anxiety | Management of a Suicidal Patient |
Nosological status and clinical features of Neurasthenia | Behavioral therapies |
Non-organic sleep disorders | Scientific evaluation of the efficacy of psychotherapy: methodological problems |
Somatization disorders: Diagnosis and clinical features | Drug treatment of generalized anxiety and panic disorders |
- | Role of Lithium in Psychiatric disorders |
- | Electroconvulsive Therapy: current trends |
Year 3 |
Semester 5 | Semester 6 |
Ethics in Psychiatry | Dementia: Differential Diagnosis and Management |
Integration of Mental Health into Primary Care - Its Role and Future in India. | Psychological Aspects of Gastrointestinal Disorders |
Learning Disorders of Childhood | Psychological Aspects of Breast Cancer |
Neuro Psychological Assessment of Children | Stress and Psychological Disorders |
Child Abuse and Neglect | Concept and Assessment of Disability |
Neuro Psychological Assessment of Children | Stress and Psychological Disorders |
- | Obesity |
- | Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry |
Top Colleges
Being a medical course, students will be able to pursue the courses across government and private medical colleges across the country. Some of the top MD Psychiatry colleges have been listed below.
1. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College
2. St John’s Medical College
3. All India Institute of Medical Sciences
4. Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research
5. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER)
6. Aligarh Muslim University
7. Armed Forces Medical College
8. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
9. Bharati Vidyapeeth University
10. Christian Medical College (CMC)
Top Recruiters And Salary
Top Recruiters
1. AIIMS
2. Apollo Healthcare
3. Fortis Healthcare
4. Max Healthcare
5. Indian Oil
6. GE Global Research
7. Tata
8. Reliance


MD Psychiatry Salaries in India
Job Role | Average Yearly Salary (in INR) |
Physicians | 6-9 LPA |
Psychiatric Social Worker | 4-6 LPA |
Child Psychiatrists | 8-12 LPA |
Special Education Teachers | 1-2 LPA |
Course Scope And Career Options
MD Psychiatry Job Roles in India
After completing the MD Psychiatry course in India, there are several different roles that graduates can get into, some of which have been listed below:
1. Child Psychiatrist
2. Clinical Psychiatrist
3. Forensic Psychiatrist
4. Prison Psychiatrist
5.Behavioural Specialist
6. Special Education Teacher
7. Psychiatric Social Worker
Admission Process
Having satisfied all the eligibility criteria for the course, aspirants can continue to complete the admission process for MD Psychiatry. The admissions to the course are done based on entrance test scores and interviews.