<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I'm a senior that's looking to apply to some schools soon. I want to become a psychiatrist that uses art with my patients, and also an artist working out of my house. I know I can double major, but do you think I could do it? I have such a passion for both the workings of the mind and art, which totally connect. I really need to do it. Thanks!</p>
<p>As with engineering students who want to double major in music, or vice versa, there are an awful lot of requirements to fulfill when students choose majors in two different schools/colleges in an institution.</p>
<p>In your case, it’s a little different because you can find more fine arts programs in colleges of arts and sciences or colleges of the liberal arts within an institution that offer both fine arts and psychology majors.</p>
<p>So if you want to double you’ll want to look carefully at the requirements of both majors and how many reqs you’ll have to complete for the college(s) within the uni.</p>
<p>More often, students end up majoring in psych and minoring in one of the fine arts (education majors often do this, for instance).</p>
<p>Double-majoring in studio art plus another liberal arts disciplines should be doable. There are dozens of schools – large, medium and small – at which double majoring in different subjects is not uncommon. For more flexibility, look for schools that offer the BA in art (versus the BFA) and that do not have core curriculums. Distribution requirements (which are different from core curriculums) are generally not an obstacle to double majors.</p>
<p>Pre-med is not a specific major at most colleges. You can major in something science driven, like biology or chemistry, or something entirely different, like psychology, history or even art, and still get accepted to medical school, as long as you have the grades, scores and have fulfilled the admissions prerequisites. </p>
<p>This information sheet from Williams College (which has an excellent track record for med school admissions and an excellent art department) will give you a general idea of how to prepare.
<a href=“http://careers.williams.edu/grad-school/pre-health/preparation-for-medical-school/”>http://careers.williams.edu/grad-school/pre-health/preparation-for-medical-school/</a></p>
<p>Significantly:
</p>
<p>You haven’t indicated what type of colleges you’re interested in or what level of selectivity would be appropriate. In the category of small liberal arts colleges, I’d recommend the following for very good studio art and overall very good academics: Williams, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Haverford, Vassar, Kenyon, Oberlin, Conn College, Skidmore. Smith if you are female.</p>
<p>As always, understand your financial situation before making your list, especially if you are looking primarily at private colleges. If you need financial aid, you first need to run a few net price calculators to determine how much need based aid you might be eligible for. </p>
<p>I think you should investigate the world of art therapy more carefully before deciding that you need to go to med school. My impression is that these days it is not the psychiatrists who are doing art therapy (or frankly, that much therapy, as psychiatry is more medication management) as it is psychologists and people with masters in art therapy. </p>
<p>Go to undergraduate at a place that allows you the freedom to explore art, psychology and other subjects that will increase your understanding of the human condition and as you learn, continue to explore professional and graduate school paths that blend your skills and interests.</p>
<p>Not gonna be possible. Psych takes up 8-10 credit hours for the first 4-6 semesters, so you’re left trying to fit in 8 semesters of 4-5 hour science classes along with some math, English, and gen eds. It’ll be hard to fit it all in as a psych major let alone a double major in art that has no course overlap whatsoever. Unless you want to take 20 credit hours a semester your first 3 years, pick 2 between Psych, Art, and Medicine.</p>
<p>why do your goals require a double major? There is no requirement for psychiatrists to have an undergrad psychology major. You become a psychiatrist because you choose that residency after med school.</p>
<p>For your needs, doing a second major in art isn’t necessary. Just take a few courses that you think will accomplish your goals… What do you plan on having patients do? draw? paint? sculpt? I don’t think you will be using art history with them, right? Heck, you could take a few art classes over the summer at a local CC.</p>
<p>You should have no problem doing a psych major as a premed. Tons of kids do it. Use your premed prereqs to fulfill a number of your Gen Eds.</p>
<p>And if you have AP credits, it will even be easier to accomplish. </p>
<p>It’s all depend on you interest and I suggest you to go with your top interesting stream, whether it is arts or psychology.</p>
<p>Best of Luck!</p>
<p>-Tim</p>
<p>You could attend a univ that allows you to “Create your own major”…then you could design a major that includes your pre-med pre-reqs, and various art and psych courses. </p>
<p>again, if you have a number of AP credits, you surely could do this.</p>
<p>Are you 100% sure you want to do that rather than become an art therapist? That is an actual field; my daughter thought that would be her career for a while. That path does not include med school but does include grad school, usually. There are a small number of undergrad colleges that offer Art Therapy but most people go to undergrad for art and psychology (major in one, minor in the other) and then grad school for the narrower focus and certification. Here’s some more info on it from Wikipedia:</p>
<p>“In the United States, the practice of art therapists is governed by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). The ATCB Code of Professional Practice addresses General Ethical Principles, Eligibility for Credentials, Standards of Conduct, and Disciplinary Procedures.[55] In order to apply for an ATR or other registered art therapist certifications, students are required to complete 1,000 hours of direct client contact post-graduation from a master’s program. After obtaining an ATR, individuals have the opportunity to apply for Board Certification from the Art Therapy Credentials Board by passing an examination. Like many psychology-related licensing, art therapy licenses vary by state, and having a license does not necessarily mean a therapist is nationally certified.”</p>
<p>Here’s the web site for the American Art Therapy Assoc: <a href=“http://www.arttherapy.org/”>http://www.arttherapy.org/</a></p>
<p>My daughter just recently changed her major goals, but she intended to major in Fine Art and minor in Psych at a good 4-year liberal arts college, then go on from there.</p>