Forensic Psychiatrist To become a forensic psychiatrist, you must first become a medical psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has completed several years of additional training in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. A forensic psychiatrist is a psychiatrist who has additional training and/or experience related to the interface of mental health (or mental illness) and the law.

Forensic psychiatry is a sub-specialty of psychiatry Forensic psychiatry is a sub-specialty of psychiatry. It makes a connection between law and psychiatry. To become certified, one who gets a psychiatrists degree can enroll in one year of specialized training to become a forensic psychiatrist. A psychiatrist and psychologist are not the same thing: Psychiatrists are physicians with specialty training in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychologists are professionals in their own right, and may have special expertise in topics not usually studied in detail by psychiatrists.

They work with both victims and perpetrators - They are asked to testify in court, and also do clinical work, and sometimes work in prisons In court, Forensic psychiatrists can offer an opinion or educated advice on whether the perpetrator is able to plead the insanity defense or not. They can evaluate if the offender was in the correct mental state at the time of the crime, to know what he or she was doing... And can also evaluate whether or not the perpetrator is competent enough to stand and testify at his or her own trial.