Careers in focus
Psychiatrists and Psychologists: What's the Difference?
According to the Your Health in Mind website, there are three main differences between psychiatrists and psychologists:
- Psychiatrists are medical doctors, psychologists are not.
- Psychiatrists prescribe medication, psychologists can't.
- Psychiatrists diagnose illness, manage treatment and provide a range of therapies for complex and serious mental illness. Psychologists focus on providing psychotherapy (talk therapy) to help patients.
It would seem many people get psychiatrists and psychologists confused with each other.
Both psychiatrists and psychologists understand how the brain works, our emotions, feelings and thoughts. Both can treat mental illness with psychological treatments (talking therapies).
However, psychiatrists attend medical school and become medical doctors before doing specialist training in mental health. Because they are doctors, psychiatrists understand the links between mental and physical problems. They can also prescribe medications.
Further information can be found at Your Health in Mind
Allied Health Careers
Audiology
Audiology is a health care profession involved in assessing, managing and rehabilitating hearing loss and balance disorders. So, audiologists are responsible for the non-medical management and rehabilitation of hearing loss and associated disorders of communication. Audiology is a rapidly growing profession and qualified audiologists are in high demand both locally and internationally. To become an audiologist students usually have to study a biomedicine, biological science, health science or a related field at university, followed by a postgraduate qualification in audiology.
In Victoria, two universities offer a Master of Clinical Audiology:
- La Trobe University – Master of Clinical Audiology
- University of Melbourne – Master of Clinical Audiology
Orthoptics
Orthoptists are eye care professionals. They specialise in detecting, diagnosing and treating vision and eye disorders. To become an orthoptist, a student usually has to study orthoptic or ophthalmic science at university.
In Victoria, La Trobe University offers the Bachelor of Orthoptics (Honours)
Podiatry
Podiatrists look after the health of people's feet by diagnosing, treating, and preventing foot abnormalities, and educating the public about good foot health. Undergraduate courses in podiatry are offered by two universities in Victoria: