Dr. Neil Scheurich is a psychiatrist in Raleigh, N.C. In addition to his private practice, Scheurich performs contractual work for several outpatient clinics, providing his services to patients who have Medicaid or do not have health insurance. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky before completing his medical education at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor and finishing his residency at Duke University's Medical Center. He is board certified from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. You can keep up with Scheurich through his practice-linked blog, where he regularly posts items that are of interest to those fascinated by the field of psychiatry.

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
The mind is intellectually fascinating, and mental illness is often misunderstood, overlooked and/or stigmatized; a medical career offers considerable flexibility and autonomy. So there are intellectual, moral and practical advantages to psychiatry. The work offers a privileged perspective on people's inner lives.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field?
Like any psychiatrist, I obtained a bachelor's degree, attended four years of medical school and completed four years of residency training. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who prescribe medication, whereas psychologists and social workers have graduate degrees and, for the most part, provide psychotherapy.

How did your education help you in your career?
Medical school and residency are highly demanding years in several respects and beyond the sheer information and expertise one must master, it helps to instill the level of responsibility and professionalism necessary for the field.

What was your career path like in this field?
Beyond medical school and residency, which are required initial stages for all psychiatrists, the career path can be quite varied. One reason I chose my current contractual positions is that they offer a high degree of flexibility that accommodates my family and child care schedule.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
Being a psychiatrist requires a certain degree of calm imperturbability, patience and tolerance of ambiguity. It involves considerable subtlety and is not for those seeking rapid and concrete results. Above all, one must be able and willing to listen without judging.

What do you do on a typical workday?
The "typical" workday depends on the clinic I happen to be working in. Some days, I see 12 to 18 patients over an eight-hour period; on other days, I spend time on committees and projects to administer clinic policy.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field?
In medicine, once one is an independent practitioner at any rate, one does not so much "advance" as evolve and further develop clinical skills. In psychiatry, there is no problem with job security and I know that in most places I would have no problem finding employment.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
Perhaps the best single way to explore and assess one's interest in and aptitude for the mental health field is to be in psychotherapy oneself. Beyond that, it is a matter of deciding whether to commit to medicine (i.e. as the route to psychiatry) or to an alternative counseling field.