Psychological medicine is the study and application of various psychological theories and principle to the treatment of physical and mental disorders. It works on integrating somatic and psychotherapeutic methods into the treatment and management of mental illness and other psychological and disorders. A practising medical psychologist has the prescriptive authority to provide psychiatric and pharmaceutical medications to the required dose. These include antidepressant and pain management medications for neurotic or non-neurotic disorders. A medical psychologist is expected to apply psychological theories, findings, and other techniques using, psychotherapy, behaviour and cognitive modifications and also applying lifestyle therapy to work on the overall health of the patient apart from just the treatment of a particular illness. They are also involved in centres that put together a multidisciplinary collaboration to tackle complex medical conditions. 

The course as we see would require a study of the neurological, behavioural, and psychological science and the different aspects that go around them. The program aims to educate the student with essential research in the field of brain study to life expectancy improvement and other major theories regarding a patient’s character and their methods for application of these theories for guidance in treatments or management. The course puts together essential abilities for the direction and gathering of material for self-improvement. It also gives a chance for students to evaluate their capacity in the various training settings and have an understanding of their capabilities and help better those that are at a disadvantage. The course initially tackles topics such as basic sciences related to psychiatry, clinical psychiatry and their recent advances, psychiatry specialities and general medicine and neurology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, the psychosocial basis of human behaviour. It then moves on to more serious courses such as neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, neurology, and applied biochemistry.

The Diploma in Psychological Medicine is an undergraduate or postgraduate diploma course that is offered for two years. Students who wish to undertake the course are usually required to attend an entrance examination and are eligible to do so if they have a basic senior secondary certification in the science stream or an MBBS certification from a recognized state or central medical board for the post-graduation course. A graduate can choose many career options in this particular field of medicine. They can work as a physician in community healthcare centres, in government hospitals, can take up work as a fellow in research institutes and help with the consultation of certain researchers and also work in medical content writings, they can work in private clinics as a consultant physician and also work for the community or incorporate situations as a consultant in psychiatry medicine. They can also work in schools, colleges and universities as a psychology counsellor and a therapist in situations that are needed. There are many job opportunities in rural areas of the country where there is an ardent need to create a concept of treatment and management of mental illness and steps are being made to fill those roles for those who wish to take them up.