A psychiatrist is a medical doctor, meaning they have a medical degree. They are medically trained and licensed to make diagnoses, prescribe medication, and administer treatments. Psychiatry is a specialized field in medicine, like a cardiologist, or pediatrician. Therefore, along with attending medical school, they have specialized training of about 5 or 6 years on top of their MD in the field of mental health. They are the only professionals that can diagnose with a complete mental and physical evaluation, interpret laboratory analyses, medical images, and take a detailed psychosocial history. Once a diagnosis is made, a psychiatrist can also use psychotherapy techniques to treat a patient. Psychiatrists in Quebec are members of the Association de médecins psychiatres du Québec.