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They undergo very different training. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, so they go to medical school, internship, residency and become licensed MD's.

Psychologists typically get an academic masters or doctors degree in psychology. They only get a license if they want to treat patients.

But I'm not sure there is any formal "screening" for mental illness in either process. I would think, however, it would be pretty tough for a nutjob to make it through internship and residency without someone noticing.

Ponder this, though. James Holmes was in a highly selective neuropsych program when he shot up the Aurora movie theater.