Forensic psychiatrists get their start in undergraduate school, embarking on bachelor’s programs that prepare them for medical school. Completing their school’s required core curriculum is necessary, but also taking courses that will apply in their field is part of the undergraduate degree. Many aspiring forensic psychiatrist opt for majors in psychology and behavioral sciences, or one of the branches of science. Classes in biology, chemistry and physics are required for most medical schools, and courses in psychology and law or corrections are beneficial for a specialty in forensic psychiatry.
Medical students embark on a four-year doctoral program that leads to an M.D. In medical school, students will be exposed to all aspects of medicine, not just psychiatry. Courses and clinical rotations are done in areas like family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and general surgery. However, students wishing to specialize in psychiatry will have a chance to explore this area in depth with classes in neurology and brain, mind and behavior. Psychiatry will also play a large role in many of the foundational courses in medical school, such as patient care.
After earning a medical degree, all students must enter a residency program that will allow them to specialize further in their chosen area of medicine. For would-be forensic psychiatrists, this means four years as a psychiatry resident. The curriculum here is not based on course work but on practical experience in a variety of clinical settings. While the bulk of time is spent observing and assisting in psychiatric care at hospitals, mental health facilities and other outpatient facilities, students also attend didactic sessions that help build foundational knowledge in psychiatry. These sessions include topics such as child and adolescent psychiatry, neuroscience and pharmacotherapy.
Following a psychiatry residency program, students spend a final year in a fellowship program concentrated on forensic psychiatry. Didactic sessions and clinical rotations are at the core of the program, where students delve further into the forensics aspect of this branch of medicine. The didactic curriculum may include courses in correctional psychiatry, ethical issues, mental health law and criminal law. Rotations are typically done in mental health facilities or hospital-based jails.