What is a Cardiologist?
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Many people ask what is a cardiologist and how to become a cardiologist. A cardiologist is a medical professional who possesses the skill and knowledge to find, treat heart disease and prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Although they go through years of medical school in order to treat various health issues, people see a cardiologist when they are suffering from heart problems or fear they might have heart-related issues such as heart disease. People also see a cardiologist when they are referred by other physicians. Becoming a cardiologist requires a lot of education requirements for cardiologist study and commitment, but it can also be a rewarding career.  Caring for the cardiovascular system and promoting heart health is an important role in medicine. 

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A cardiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in heart, heart-related and blood vessel issues. Patients may see a cardiologist while in a clinic or hospital, and a cardiologist will perform a physical examination and go over the patient’s medical history and family history. If a diagnosis cannot be determined from the symptoms and physical exam, the cardiologist may recommend additional tests, such as x-ray, ECG , or blood tests. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels can be treated successfully. 

If it’s determined that the patient has a heart problem or heart disease, the cardiologist may perform appropriate procedures like balloon angioplasty, cardiac catheterization, clinical cardiac electrophysiology or heart surgery. Cardiologists also talk to patients about their family history, healthy living, heart health and ways to prevent heart disease such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure. A cardiologist may talk to their patients about diet and an exercise program as part of their treatment.  Patients with heart failure or advanced heart failure are seen by a cardiologist. They treat patients with adult congenital heart disease, vascular disease and cardiovascular disease of other types. Every patient’s medical situation is unique with different risk factors. A cardiologist is also requested when patients are brought into the ER with chest pain after a heart attack.

 

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The path to becoming a cardiologist is a long one, but one that can result in a promising and rewarding career. So, how long does it take to become a cardiologist? The first step towards becoming a cardiologist is earning a bachelor’s degree, which takes four years. What degree does a cardiologist need? The degree can be in almost any major, but most aspiring physicians choose chemistry, biology or cardiovascular technology. You may ask, how many years of college to be a cardiologist? 

Once the student earns the bachelor’s degree, he or she must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) because scores for this test must be submitted to almost all medical schools. The next step is applying to a school of medicine and taking care of any admission requirements the school may have. The candidate will be in a school of medicine for four years. The first two years are spent completing medical courses, and the final two years include clinical rotations.

After graduation from medical school, the aspiring cardiologist will complete a residency, which usually takes about three years. Once the residency is completed, the candidate can become board-certified as a cardiologist by passing an exam through the American Board of Internal Medicine. The fellowship is typically the final stage towards working towards becoming a cardiologist. Cardiology fellowships usually take around three years. How many years of school to become a cardiologist is about eleven years in total.

Whether one wants to treat cardiovascular disease and blood vessels as an interventional cardiologist or cardiac surgeon, the path to improving patient cardiovascular health and working with patients with heart diseases is a long one that requires great commitment. 

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What is cardiology and what are some areas that a cardiologist can go into? There are various areas of cardiology that cardiologists may wish to specialize.

  • General clinical cardiologist
  • Preventive cardiologist
  • Heart failure and transplant cardiologist
  • Interventional cardiologist
  • Cardiothoracic surgeon
  • Electrophysiologist
  • Adult congenital cardiologist
  • Nuclear cardiologist
  • Computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging cardiologist
  • Echocardiologist

No matter if working in interventional cardiology or other specialty, treating diseases that involve the heart and blood vessels is an important role. Whether doing heart surgery or discussing a new exercise program, a cardiologist’s role helps people live a healthier life. 

Career and salary outlook

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Physicians and surgeons are expected to see a job growth of 3 percent between 2021 and 2031 as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which is slower than average for all occupations. This is for all types of physicians and surgeons including those in cardiologists, internal medicine, and others.

Despite limited employment growth, about 23,800 openings for physicians and surgeons are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most openings are expected to be the result of needing to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force as in retire.

Physicians and surgeons earned a median annual wage of $208,000 per year as of May 2021, which is among the highest of all occupations. Physicians who specialize in specific areas of medicine, such as cardiology, typically can expect to earn higher wages. Cardiologists earned an average salary in 2019 was $351,827 per year according to Indeed. 

What are the professional organizations for physicians and Cardiologists?

The American College of Cardiology (ACC)

Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI)

American Society For Preventive Cardiology (ASPC)

Cardiologists are highly regarded in the medical industry and in most communities because of their many talents and abilities to save lives of people with heart disease. An individual who doesn’t mind spending years in school to be able to save and improve the quality of lives may find becoming a cardiologist an ideal career choice.

MPH staff, 2023

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