Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Training and Teaching Others Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

The Work

The work of a Psychiatrist is generally fairly varied. They work with and treat people who are suffering from psychological illnesses or disorders such as depression, stress, alxheimers, schisophrenia or addiction. Usually the Psychiatrist specialises in a particular area such as Child Psychiatry, Drug Dependency, Forensic Psychiatry, or most importantly, General Adult Psychiatry.  
 
In Ireland, the psychiatric services are divided into the public and private services and most consultants would work in both areas.  
 
The specific tasks that psychiatrists carry out on a daily basis depend on the speciality they work in. One main sub-speciality, which covers a broad range of illnesses, is general adult psychiatry. Psychiatrists who work in other areas have more specific issues to deal with:  
 
- Child and adolescent psychiatrists examine the mental and emotional development of 0-18 year olds, and also work closely with the respective families and teachers. Typical problems include eating disorders, drug abuse and depression.  
 
- Forensic psychiatrists provide offender treatment and care, and may get involved in court procedures.  
 
- Learning disability psychiatrists treat people with conditions such as Down's syndrome who also have mental health problems.  
 
- Old age psychiatrists focus on problems that some elderly people suffer from, such as senile dementia and Alsheimer's disease.  
 
- Psychotherapists often help people to deal with traumatic experiences, such as the death of someone close or a marriage breakdown. They use 'talking treatments' to help the patient change their behaviour, in order to cope in a more positive way.  
 
Psychiatrists normally lead multi-disciplinary teams, which include social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists. They give and receive information and advice about patients, which helps with diagnosis and report writing etc.  
 
Most Psychiatrists would adopt an eclectic approach to treatment (although this depends on the speciality) so that the Psychiatrist will use a wide range of treatments, from psychotherapeutic approaches, to drug treatments, behavioural treatments, rehabilitation and so on. The general Psychiatrist needs a good knowledge of all these approaches.  
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Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Prescribe, direct, or administer psychotherapeutic treatments or medications to treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
• Gather and maintain patient information and records, including social or medical history obtained from patients, relatives, or other professionals.
• Design individualised care plans, using a variety of treatments.
• Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals to discuss treatment plans and progress.
• Analyse and evaluate patient data or test findings to diagnose nature or extent of mental disorder.
• Examine or conduct laboratory or diagnostic tests on patients to provide information on general physical condition or mental disorder.
• Counsel outpatients or other patients during office visits.
• Advise or inform guardians, relatives, or significant others of patients' conditions or treatment.
• Teach, take continuing education classes, attend conferences or seminars, or conduct research and publish findings to increase understanding of mental, emotional, or behavioral states or disorders.
• Review and evaluate treatment procedures and outcomes of other psychiatrists or medical professionals.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

A specialist is a doctor who is certified to practise independently in a specific area of medicine (eg Psychiatry). A specialist has completed all of their postgraduate training and does not require supervision by a more senior doctor. It can take up to 15 years to become a specialist. The career pathway is as follows:

CAO Higher Education Entry: 

1. Medical Degree  - a five to six-year undergraduate medical degree programme at one of the six medical schools in Ireland Search CAO courses 

2. Internship - newly graduated doctors spend 12 months training in hospitals as an Intern (equivalent to ‘house officer’ in some jurisdictions), working as part of a team with nurses and experienced doctors, and earning their first salary as a doctor.

The intern year is structured so that a doctor can experience a variety of medical specialties; at least three months must be spent in general Medicine and at least three months in general Surgery. Interns can also spend 2 – 4 months in:

• Emergency Medicine
• General Practice
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Paediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Anaesthesia (to include perioperative medicine)
• Radiology

This variety helps the intern decide which area of medicine they want to continue training in. In Ireland, the Medical Council oversees the intern year.

3. Basic Specialist Training - Towards the end of the intern year, a doctor must choose an area of medicine to continue training in. The next stage of training is Basic Specialist Training (BST).

There are 10 BST programmes in Ireland, including Psychiatry:

In most cases BST-Basic Specialist Training is two years in duration. During this time a doctor works as a Senior House Officer (SHO), mostly in hospitals and always under the supervision of a more experienced doctor.

To find out more about BST with RCPI, click here.

4. Registrar Training - After BST most doctors want to progress to Higher Specialist Training (HST). Entry to HST is very competitive. Some doctors may need to wait for a year or two before they either meet all of the entry criteria (e.g. passing postgraduate exams) or are successful at interview.

In RCPI, the Registrar Training Programme (RTP) is designed for doctors who want to continue their training at registrar level with a view to progressing on to HST.

5. Higher Specialist Training (HST) - is designed to bring a doctor’s skills up to the standard required for independent, specialist practice. HST takes four to six years to complete, depending on the specialty. During this time a doctor works as a Specialist Registrar (SpR). On satisfactory completion of HST, SpRs receive a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Specialist Training (CSCST) which allows them to enter the Specialist Division of the Medical Council.

6. Consultant - Once a doctor is on the Specialist Division of the Register with the Medical Council they are eligible to apply for consultant posts. However is not always easy to get into these highly-regarded positions. With the exception of GPs (General Practitioners), specialists in Ireland are generally referred to as ‘consultants’.

Many doctors spend some time working abroad and building up their portfolio of research, audits and publications before becoming a consultant.

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €56k - €244k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role.

Data Source(s):
HSE/ Indeed/ Jobted/ Talent/ Salary explorer/ Salary expert

Last Updated: August, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

The annual average employment growth for medical practitioners was slightly above average over the five-year period, with strong growth between 2021 and 2022. Almost 30% of those employed in this occupation were non-Irish citizens, with employment permits still acting as a source of supply of skills; over 2,100 new permits were issued in 2022 across a range of specialities. Supply from the third level education system is set to expand by 200 additional places by 2026 (beginning with an increase of 60 places each in 2022 and 2023). Given the duration of medical training, however, this increased supply is not expected to have an impact on the labour market in the short-to-medium term.

Issues in relation to GPs are being addressed with an announcement that the number of GP training places will be increased to 350 in 2024 from 258 in 2022 and an expansion of the non-EU GP Training Scheme from 50 to 250 by the end of 2024.43 However, the increasing demand for medical practitioners as a result of factors such as the rollout of the Sláintecare Action Plan, the ageing population and the tackling of the lengthy waiting lists (exacerbated as a result of COVID-19) will result in continued shortages for this occupation.

• Public Appointments Service

  • Chapter House, 26/30 Abbey Street Upper, Dublin 1, D01 C7W6
  • (01) 858 7400 or Local: 1890 44 9999
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

  • Frederick House, 19 South Federick Street Dublin 2
  • (01) 8639700
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Health Service Executive (HSE)

  • Dr Steevens' Hospital, Steevens Lane, Dublin, 8
  • 041 685 0300
  • Click Here

• The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland

  • 5 Herbert Street, Dublin 2.
  • (01) 661 8450
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Irish Medical Council

  • Kingram House, Kingram Place, Dublin, 2
  • (01) 498 3100
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here