Hi there.

After reading your question, it feels like as if you are not sure of the definitions of the professions of psychiatrist and psychologist.

See, a psychiatrist is a Doctor who treats mental disorders with help of medications and psychologists don't use medications rather therapies and other intervention methods to treat a particular disorder.

IF you specifically talk about the psychologists who treat mental disorders then we will be talking about Clinical Psychologists.

Now, as Psychiatrists prescribe medications, it is mandatory for them to have a medical degree first. To become a psychiatrist in India, you will have to crack the NEET UG examinations first to get into a medical college for completing the undergraduate degree that will provide you with the degree of MBBS. After completing MBBS you will have to crack the NEET PG examinations to get the degree of MD in Psychiatry to become a Psychiatrist.

Here is the link of NEET UG examinations:

Https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/neet

Now, to become a clinical psychologist it is not mandatory to have Psychology as a subject in Class XI and XII, but clearly, a good background in Psychology right from the start of your high school would prove a lot helpful in your future. And, even for becoming a psychiatrist, you don't need psychology as a subject, you need Physics, Chemistry, and Biology to be eligible to write the NEET UG exams.

To become a clinical psychologist you have to do the following. Read ahead.
Right after class XII, enroll into a good College with either a BSc or BA degree in Psychology.
I am enlisting 3 best Government Universities/Colleges for undergraduation in Psychology.
1. University of Delhi
2. University of Calcutta
3. Fergusson College, SPPU University (Pune)
Make sure to do atleast one internship during your graduation program. It would be of great help in securing your admission in a good University for your Masters. Go for either a MSc or MA in General Psychology or the best case scenario would be going for Applied Psychology (specialisation in Clinical Psychology). In Applied Psychology, you'll get to choose your specialistion in the second semester. You can choose from Social Psychology, Clinical Psychology, or Industrial Psychology Here, to get the following universities you'll have to crack the entrance examinations conducted by the same. Top government Universities for Masters are :
1. University of Delhi - i. North Campus - MA/MSc in General Psychology (100 seats.)
ii. South Campus - MA/MSc in Applied Psychology (30 seats).
2. Jamia Millia Islamia
3. University of Calcutta
4. Banaras Hindu University
5. Fergusson College, SPPU
Make sure to do a lot of internships during your Masters to have a good amount of exposure of the field.
Next, after your Masters, to become a licensed clinical psychologist in India you have to get registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India for which it is mandatory to complete your MPhil degree. To get into the following colleges for doing your MPhil you'll have to crack the entrance examinations conducted by the particular institute. The best colleges for MPhil are :
1. NIMHANS, Bangalore - This is the best institute for MPhil in Clinical Psychology.It has a total of 15 seats from all over India. It provides a stipend of Rs. 25000, per month.
2. IBHAS Delhi
3. IOP, Kolkata
4. RG Kar, Kolkata
This should be your timeline. This would require a total of 7 years of study (without any backlogs) to become a licensed Clinical Psychologist in India.
Hope you find this helpful.
Good luck!

Hey Lakhsitha Jain,

There is no Psychology subject for 11 and 12 th students. All you need to do In Undergraduation. You can complete the course in UG then you can complete an internship to get hands on experience. If you get a job in good Hospital then it would be better. If you have good skill you can run your own clinic then