List Of Psychiatrists In Uganda
Psychiatrist is a medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
UGANDA has only 28 psychiatrists for a population of 33 million people, a senior doctor has said.
Dr. David Basangwa, the acting Butabika Hospital director, said most of the work was being done by clinical officers and nurses since the specialist doctors were few.
He explained that 35% of the population suffers from different psychiatric disorders. Of these, 15% require treatment from mental health units.
Basangwa said much as there was evidence that the problem was growing, there was no current specific data.
Basangwa noted that while Kenya has at least 80 psychiatrists, most medical students in Uganda rarely opt for psychiatry because it is less lucrative.
“Our patients do not pay. So even if one started a private clinic, it attracts few clients,†he said.
Basangwa made the disclosure recently while meeting psychiatrists from Kenya led by Dr. Nelly Kitazi, the superintendent of Mathari Hospital in Nairobi that treats mentally ill patients.
Basangwa revealed that there were about 10 scholarships at the undergraduate and masters levels for psychiatry students but nobody had applied for the course this academic year.
How to become a Psychiatrist in Uganda
Typical Entry-Level Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
Doctoral or professional degree for entry.
Internship/residency to become competent.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
Anatomy
Chemistry
Community Health
Computer Applications
Human Development
Medical Ethics
Nutrition
Research Methods
Safety and First Aid/CPR
Sociology
Statistics
World Languages
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Psychiatrists
Being Aware of Others—Understanding people’s reactions.
Listening—Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Reading—Reading work-related information.
Thinking Critically—Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Learning New Things—Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Speaking—Talking to others.
Writing—Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Making Decisions—Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Solving Complex Problems—Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Helping Others—Looking for ways to help people.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Psychiatrists
Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Sociology and Anthropology—Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Philosophy and Theology—Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
Investigative—Investigative careers involve working with ideas. They require a lot of watching, learning, and problem-solving. People in investigative careers sometimes prefer to work alone. They are often good at math, science, or logical reasoning.
Social—Social careers involve working with, communicating with, and teaching others. They usually require working with people more than things. People who work in social careers often enjoy helping or providing service to others.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks. These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
1. Helping and caring for people.
2. Collecting information from different sources.
3. Making decisions or solving problems.
4. Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
5. Keeping up-to-date with new knowledge.
6. Documenting or recording information.
7. Communicating with supervisors, co-workers, or people that work under you.
8. Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.