Being seen by an associate specialist as opposed to a psychiatrist

[Schubert11]

My son is struggling massively with medication. After waiting for many months he saw an associate specialist as opposed to a psychiatrist which is what he thought he was seeing. The appointment was really poor.Is there much difference between the two and would seeing a psychiatrist be preferable?

An Associate Specialist is more senior than a Doctor and the grade below a Consultant.
I’ve always experienced them to be very good. They are very senior and experienced Clinicians.
Perhaps it wasn’t the grade and it was the person you didn’t click with. If you’re not happy with the consultation or advice then do seek further support. Medication changes do take time to take effect though so could it be this?

What was poor about the meeting? What where you hoping would happen? Did they do anything at all to help your son?

Not everyone who is seen by a psychiatry doctor will see a consultant psychiatrist.

Some people will see doctors training to be consultants, others will see doctors who work permanently in the psychiatry department who are called specialty doctors when more junior and associate specialists when more senior.

It's entirely possible for an associate specialist to have more experience than a consultant, they have just chosen a different career path.

Associate specialists often play an important role in delivering structured care, offering assessments, follow-ups, and therapeutic support under clinical supervision. Psychiatrists, on the other hand, bring advanced medical training that allows for more complex diagnosis, medication management, and comprehensive treatment planning. Both here can be valuable parts of a well-organized mental health system, depending on the individual’s needs and the severity of their condition.

I’ve been seen by an associate specialist for a physical health problem and they’ve been exceptional; they had more experience than the consultant and after three years of being bounced around consultants they finally and correctly identified the cause of what was wrong.