Chapters
- 01. What Are The Differences Between A Psychologist and A Psychiatrist?
- 02. What Are Some Malaysian Psychology-Related Societies And Associations You Should Know?
- 03. What You Should Know About The A-Level Psychology Syllabus?
- 04. Where To Pursue A Psychology Programme In Johor Bahru?
- 05. Tips To Score A Higher Grade For Your Psychology Exams
It is a universal fact that everyone has heard this question at least once in their lifetime.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Like or loath it, careers play a big part in our life.
It's one of the primary reasons that drive us to study hard and score well for examinations.
So that we can stand a chance to pursue our dream career and live a comfortable life.
The same principle applies to a subject like psychology.
In this article, we will be looking at several pieces of information revolving around the careers in psychology, what you should know about the A-Level Psychology syllabus, examination preparation tips and some of the universities where you can pursue a psychology programme in Johor.
Here's an overview to Psychology classes in Malaysia.
What Are The Differences Between A Psychologist and A Psychiatrist?
Undoubtedly, many people think that psychologists and psychiatrists are the same things, and every psychology graduate can choose to become any of them.
The thing is, these two careers are greatly different from one another.
Continue reading to find out the three main differences between these two occupations.
Difference 1: Qualification
To become a clinical psychologist in Malaysia, you need to first take a basic degree in psychology and upon graduation, you must pursue a Master's psychology. A PhD is not mandatory after the completion of your Master's degree but it is encouraged if you are interested to go into more in-depth research.
On the other hand, you have to be a medical doctor to be a psychiatrist. That means after finishing your basic 5-year medical degree, you will only then decide to specialise in psychiatry.
Difference 2: Treatment methods
For psychologists, you help patients by conducting various diagnostic tests and interviews to help them realise the ways to improve their behaviour and mental health. Most of their patients do not have life-threatening mental illnesses. This could be done through counselling or various therapy sessions. A psychologist is not allowed to prescribe medication to their patients.
As a medical doctor, a psychiatrist treats patients with mental health disorders like depression, bipolar and schizophrenia that may require lifelong treatment. They are allowed to prescribe medication to their patients due to their medical background and understanding of genetics.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
Difference 3: Career opportunities
From the first two points, you will then realise that both psychologists and psychiatrists will end up working in different fields.
A psychologist can choose to be a specialist in certain corporate or non-corporate industries. Their understanding of the human behaviour and body can lead to becoming a sports psychologist for instance. You can also find many organizational psychologists at big corporations these days.
A psychiatrist will centrally be based in hospitals and clinics to attend to the medical needs of the patients who visit these institutions.
Now that you have gained some insights into these two jobs, feel free to know where you can study psychology in Ipoh.
What Are Some Malaysian Psychology-Related Societies And Associations You Should Know?
Here are three groups that you can share or get in touch with at different stages of your psychology studies in Malaysia.
1. Malaysian Association of Psychology Students (MAPS)
This association is founded in 2019 and aims to enable Malaysian psychology students to empower each other through the sharing of academic research and corporate/non-corporate career pursuits.
Whether you are currently an undergraduate/postgraduate student a psychology professor or a researcher, you are most welcome to get in touch and share your insights to enrich this community. Some of the past events that have been conducted by MAPS on topics like:
- Pursuing a Master's Degree
- Clinical Psychology in Malaysia
- Current Issues in Psychology: Counsellors in Malaysia
- Positive Psychology in Malaysia
2. The Malaysian Psychological Association/Persatuan Psikologi Malaysia (PSIMA)
If you are gearing up to be a professional psychologist in Malaysia, you should take note of this association.
Firstly, PSIMA works closely with the Malaysian government to facilitate the official registration of professional psychologists in the country to ensure the utmost level of service and ethical practice. Secondly, PSIMA is an active body that encourages active participation and collaboration between different psychology university departments in Malaysia.
If you are in academia, you can also contribute to this association through the submission to the Jurnal Psikologi Malaysia.
3. Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology (MSCP)
The MSCP was established in 2010 and acts as a platform to educate the public on clinical psychology and help current practising clinical psychologists in Malaysia to form a strong community to help one another.
Once a clinical psychologist is registered with this society, their particulars will be included in the directory where members of the public can view their basic details (name, location, specialisation etc) and contact them directly for assistance.
You can also find much useful information on the difference between psychology clinical psychology, the pathway to becoming a clinical psychologist in Malaysia and the fee rates of a clinical psychology consultation.
Learn more about the universities that offer psychology programmes in Subang Jaya.
What You Should Know About The A-Level Psychology Syllabus?
Let's say you are 100% sure of pursuing psychology for your undergraduate studies.
Here's the recommended academic pathway.
Once you have completed your secondary education (SPM/IGCSE), you are encouraged to sit for your A-Level studies and choose Psychology as one of your subjects to get a headstart of the subject before you advance to your degree later.
You can refer to the topics below to know what will be covered for your A-Level Psychology subject.
Core topics covered [AS Level ]
1. Biological
- Canli et al. (Brain scans and emotions)
- Dement and Kleitman (Sleep and dreams)
- Schachter and Singer (Two factors in emotion)
2. Cognitive
- Andrade (Doodling)
- Baron-Cohen et al. (Eyes test)
- Laney et al. (False memory)
3. Learning
- Bandura et al. (Aggression)
- Saavedra and Silverman (Button phobia)
- Pepperberg (Parrot learning)
4. Social
- Milgram (Obedience)
- Piliavin et al. (Subway Samaritans)
- Yamamoto et al. (Chimpanzee helping)
Topics covered [A Level]
Theme: Psychology and abnormality
- Schizophrenic and psychotic disorders
- Bipolar and related disorders
- Impulse control disorders and non-substance addictive disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
Theme: Psychology and consumer behaviour
- The physical environment
- The psychological environment
- Consumer decision-making
- The product
- Advertising
Source: Xframe
Theme: Psychology and health
- The patient-practitioner relationship
- Adherence to medical advice
- Pain
- Stress
- Health promotion
Theme: Psychology and organisations
- Motivation to work
- Leadership and management
- Group behaviour in organisations
- Organisational work conditions
- Satisfaction at work
Throughout your studies, you will sit for four papers.
- Paper 1: Approaches, issues and debates
- Paper 2: Research methods
- Paper 3: Specialist options: theory
- Paper 4: Specialist options: application
Don't forget to check out these places in Kuala Lumpur where you can study psychology.
Where To Pursue A Psychology Programme In Johor Bahru?
Currently based in the southern region? No worries, here are 3 educational institutions in Johor where you can study psychology.
1. Raffles University
Raffles University offers a 3-year Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and the available intakes are in January, May and September.
Among the modules that are taught throughout this degree are:
- Child & Infant Psychology
- Introductory Psychology: Cognitive & Abnormal
- Behaviour and Influence in Organisations
- Introduction to Counselling & Psychotherapy
- Psychology of Aging and many more
Bonus tip: The university also offers a Diploma in Psychology for pre-university students. (Ideal for those who do not intend to do their A-Levels studies)
2. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
If you prefer to study psychology at a local public university in Johor Bahru, look over here!
UTM offers the Bachelor of Psychology with Human Resource Development programme. It is a 4-year specialised psychology degree as students will study both psychology and human resource modules. It is a perfect degree for those who intend to work in a corporate setting.
Some of the modules that students will master include:
- Personality Psychology
- Behaviour Modification
- Positive Psychology
- Industrial Relations Law
- Career Development
- Employment Relations
If you are located near Klang Valley, you can also look out for these places to study psychology in Shah Alam
Tips To Score A Higher Grade For Your Psychology Exams
As you prepare for your psychology university exams, here are some practical tips to help you ace your exams throughout the semesters.
Tip 1: Memorize psychology theories and their significance
You should realise by now that psychology is a reading subject. Hence, it's important for you to have a systematic method to remember the different psychology theories and applications as well as their relationships between one another. You can compile them in an alphabetical file or use mind maps to illustrate what you have studied previously.
Tip 2: Directly apply what you have learnt in your everyday life
The best way to test yourself is to explain it to another person in real life and demonstrate how you can use the knowledge of personality, for instance, to help someone decide which career suits them the best according to their interest and personal strengths.
Tip 3: Hire a private tutor
You can find an experienced and reliable psychology tutor at Superprof in just a few simple steps.
- Head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage.
- Select "psychology" as your subject and indicate your current location/choose online
- Adjust your maximum budget for your hourly rate and educational level
- Start browsing and reviewing the tutors' profiles
- Check details on their teaching qualification, experience, methodology and hourly rate
- Once you have decided, you can contact them via a Superprof Student Subscription Pass
- Discuss details regarding your time arrangement, payment methods for your future lessons
Sit back and get ready for your first personalised psychology tutoring lesson! Most Superprof tutors offer their first lessons for free, so be sure not to miss this opportunity!
We hope you have gained some insights on the pathway to studying psychology and becoming a psychologist in Malaysia. Read this article to explore the top places to study psychology in Petaling Jaya.
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