Which of the following is true of psychiatrists and psychologists?

• A. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication, while psychologists typically cannot prescribe medication in most states.
• B. Psychiatrists and psychologists have identical training and job responsibilities.
• C. Both psychiatrists and psychologists are required to attend medical school.
• D. Psychologists are medical doctors who perform surgery, while psychiatrists focus only on counseling.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the primary educational and professional differences between psychiatrists and psychologists. Psychiatrists attend medical school and earn an MD (Doctor of Medicine), while psychologists typically earn a doctoral degree in psychology (PhD or PsyD) but do not attend medical school.
2. Step 2: Recognize that psychiatrists, as medical doctors, have the authority to prescribe medication and often focus on the biological and medical aspects of mental health treatment.
3. Step 3: Note that psychologists primarily provide psychotherapy and psychological testing, and in most states, they do not have the legal authority to prescribe medication, although there are some exceptions with additional training.
4. Step 4: Evaluate the given answer choices by comparing them to these facts: psychiatrists can prescribe medication, psychologists usually cannot; their training and job responsibilities are not identical; only psychiatrists attend medical school; psychologists do not perform surgery.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct statement is that psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication, while psychologists typically cannot prescribe medication in most states.