Psychiatry is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders.

Present day medical education stresses on the understanding of normal personality development and dynamic processes which underlie psychopathology as well as art of dealing with these and the application of this knowledge to patient care.

Special attention is paid to understanding the common psychological problems seen in clinical practice and special attention is given to community psychiatry when medical students participate in clinical experience with psychiatric patients. They learn to take case history and conduct mental status examination. Differential diagnosis and treatment are discussed