@karl posted a new topic, subject "Do you think a psychiatrist is worth a $400,000 a year". It read:

   Personally I think they get a little overpaid.

To which @anon50246805 replied

    Here in Canada the hourly charge rate is at the MEDIAN of C$173.00.  
    The max. hourly rate is C$295.90.
    
    On ODSP, my hourly income is C$4.65.
    
    Seems a little unfair that after all the help the psychiatrist gives you, in most cases all it will get you is put you on a disability program that sets you not at the poverty level, but at the poverty level divided by two.
    
    GREAT WORK DOC. HOW CAN I REPAY YOU… NOW THAT I'M STONE BROKE.
    
    http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Psychiatrist/Salary
    
    Here is the Annual rates here in Canada.

To which @san_pedro replied

    in fairness they do have to listen to peoples problems

To which @anon30869595 replied

    therapists listen to people's problems, psychiatrists look at people as problems.

Then @anon50246805 said

    [quote=“pedro27, post:3, topic:7521, full:true”]  
    in fairness they do have to listen to peoples problems  
    [/quote]I'll let my local BARTENDERs pick up on that one.

After which, @Wave added

    StarryNight:
    
    > therapists listen to people's problems, psychiatrists look at people as problems.
    
    I tend to disagree on this one. Psychiatrists treat the mentally ill with medications, and medicines are what usually work for our symptoms. Therapists do listen to our problems but they do not have an effective solution to our problems. CBT and deep breathing exercises and positive thinking are not going to eradicate my powerful panic/anxiety attacks - Klonopin usually takes care of the attack within 30 minutes or so.  
    Not all psychiatrist are worthy of their position or the money they receive, many of them are there to collect a paycheck at our expense - this could be said for many different kinds of doctors.  
    Some psychiatrists are pure assholes - true. But I do know that my symptoms cannot be talked away -  
    Psychiatrists attempt to treat us through medicine, they take on a more biological approach.  
    Therapists try to treat us through psychological based approaches - Our illness is biological based mainly, and this is where a psychiatrist, an MD comes in - Therapy can work if you have secondary issues stemming from our illness - money issues, relationship problems, family conflict etc…

To which @Wave replied

    Not all psychiatrists make 400 grand a year. I think that many doctors deserve this kind of money others arent worth a dime. My psychiatrist actually works for a living and never sugar coats anything - I hate bullshitting psychiatrists.  
    She tries to come up with solutions for me and genuinely cares. She deserves whatever she makes. She has long hours and actually works. If you feel like you are not getting anywhere with your doctor and you feel like your concerns are not being met - I suggest you do not get stuck with a do nothing psychiatrist. I would look into finding another doctor, if you are not happy with his/her performance @karl

So @SzAdmin replied

    Its rare that a psychiatrist makes that kind of money. Here is their pay scale - probably very similar to most doctors/specialists who go to college for 6 to 8 years (after high school) - plust a year of residency. Then they, like everyone, start at the bottom end of the pay scale earning ok salary - and then over many years some may climb up to the higher end of the spectrum, but many if not most, do not.
    
    http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Psychiatrist/Salary
    
    Salary  
    $89,095 - $229,751
    
    And the cost for medical school is very high:
    
    **MD's Debt**  
    The median education debt for indebted medical school graduates in 2012 was $170,000, and 86 percent of graduates report having education debt. Specifically the 2012 the median debt at graduation was $160,000 at public institutions and $190,000 at private institutions.
    
    ThoughtCo
    
    ### What Does it Cost to Attend Med School?
    
    As of 2018, medical school tuition averaged $138,368 for in-state students at public schools and more than $200,000 for private schools.

So @mjseu replied

    I do not know how much a psychiatrist is worth here in Finland, but if I visit a public psychiatrist, I do not need to pay anything, it is free.

To which @karl replied

    Actually Im in Ireland, they do get paid ridiculously overpaid here, they charge $200 for a 20 minute consultation. That's a rip off.

So @csummers2 replied

    Ironic that we pay them the big bucks to put us under the poverty level, because I suppose we wouldn't have enough to complain about to keep up their paycheks?

To which @Jayster replied

    Some folks make a lot of money as psychiatists. Don't we want the best people to compete for these positions?
    
    And . . . some find the work demoralizing. Like dentistry and police work, psychiatry is a profession that produces a lot of suicides.
    
    Jayster

@anon50246805 replied

    As shown in my first post up above, there seems to be a big difference at the top end in Canadian payrolls.

Then @Hatty said

    If anyone's going to be paid a lot, I'd rather it was a psychiatrist than a banker. Plus, if they get paid well, it should attract more of them. Last thing we need is a shortage. I agree with Wave. Psychiatrists are medics. They don't try to help by waving crystals over your head or other such nonsense.

@Hatty replied

    How do psychiatrists determine your income? I'm not being sarcastic. I don't live in the US either, and medics (nurses, in this case) have been very helpful to my son in getting housing and financial support, etc (in the UK).

Then @anon50246805 said

    If you too knew the cause of the collapse of a quantum wave, you too would understand the cause of this massive range of annual incomes.
    
    I call it the **The Autonomy of Great Deception.**

Then @joanne said

    I know my psychiatrist makes $300,000 a year. He's worth it. I live in the US. He's always done right by me and everyone else that goes to him. I'm on social security disability and have a part-time job.

So @csummers2 replied

    You basically need to have a pdoc agree that you are disabled to start receiving Social Security Disability Income, that is if you have worked long enough to earn your quota. Usually 10 years, and your disability is a percentage of your paycheck, the more you had earned the more $ you get.  
    I right now after my divorce, with my disability check, I make under the poverty level, so I qualify for free vegetables twice a month.  
    I have more to complain about now than before, but since I can't qualify for medi-care without a huge penalty each month, and my ex dropped my insurance in Feb, I can't qualify for affordable health care so I couldn't pay for a pdoc if I wanted.

After which, @joanne added

    Do you have Hi-Cap to help pay the insurance costs.


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