Cardiology in the Young: How Competitive Is a Career in Cardiology?

Cardiology is a unique blend of hands-on application and a sound physiological study, based on the nature of the cardiac cases reported over time. Choosing a cardiology career means entering a medical speciality program that is one of the most competitive disciplines across the world.

The field doesn’t only include medical professionals completing cardiology courses; they are expected to gain a postgraduate research based MD or PhD along the way as well. Those who choose to enter the field of cardiovascular medicine, are nudged towards extensive research before putting it into practice.

Despite the rigorous effort required to make a mark in the field of cardiology, there is a high percentage of medical students applying for a speciality course in the same.

With each medical student able to submit their applications to at least two speciality courses at the end of their preliminary course, cardiology ranks as one of the most opted for courses. Of course, not everyone gets in to these courses due to fixed number of slots available; the same holds true for every other field.

What does it take to be a cardiologist?

Apart from the general hard work and extensive study required, here are a few essentials to know before stepping into the field:

• Cardiologists are medical doctors who are often referred to as heart doctors; they specialize in diagnosing and treating ailments of the heart.

• Post high school, it takes about 13-14 years to become an independent cardiologist.

• Practicing individual cardiology requires a valid government issued license.

• Medical professionals associated to cardiology are also required to earn a board certification before practice

Career profile of a cardiologist

A cardiologist is typically referred to by regular doctors based on the medical cases their patients come in with. These patients are usually those who are having the slightest of symptoms associating to a heart trouble.

Cardiologists diagnose and treat these medical cases with a combination of physical examination, symptom review, medical testing and physiological study from similar cases reported.

Today, there are cardiologists who run individual practices and some who join medical universities as researchers and teachers. They are often known for researching, performing or recommending medical procedures like echocardiograms, exercise related tests and cardiac catheterizations.

Cardiology specialities

There are two types of cardiology programs offered by medical universities and facilities - invasive and non-invasive. Each program is dominant in 2 of the three - EP, Cath, Non-invasive; hence, should be chosen entirely based on interest in either clinical or surgical medicine.

According to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the cardiology specialities recognised in the field are:

• Cardiac electrophysiology

• Echocardiography

• Interventional cardiology

• Nuclear cardiology

• Pediatric cardiology

See Some Case Studies Of Cardiology Cases On Buzz4health

Pros of becoming a cardiologist

• Plentiful opportunities - As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of opportunities opening in the field of cardiology are estimated to grow at a rate of 24% from 2010 to 2020 across the world.

• Promising packages - According to the Medscape Physician Compensation Report published in 2015, the annual median income of a cardiologist was estimated around $3,76,000. Medical professionals practising cardiology in metropolitan cities are said to be drawing in a significantly more figure.

• Professional status - Being a cardiologist is considered as an extremely prestigious occupation in the medical industry. Not only are these professional linked back to their extensive study, but are also credited for being a part of a number of researches and training programs before starting individual practice.

• Health contributions - Since heart is the vital organ of the human body, specialists in this field are given plentiful opportunities to conduct extensive researches and contribute to health studies across the world. The number of publications of cardiologists over the years has also increased; with women and pediatric cardiology taking the center stage.

• Mix of hands-on practice and physiological medicine - Medical professionals who opt for a speciality in cardiology are able to experience the perfect mix of hands-on training (invasive and non-invasive) and physiological medicine that is backed up by the cardiac medical cases reported till date.

Cons of becoming a cardiologist

• Extensive training and education - Becoming a cardiologist is often said to be ‘not everyone’s cup of tea’. Medical students post their graduation degree are expected to apply for postgraduate or PhD programmes; they are also required to align themselves with extensive cardiology related researches and training before starting practice.

• Irregular schedules - One of the biggest drawbacks of having a career in cardiology, is the irregular and more often than not, lengthy work schedules. Since there aren’t many qualified and practiced cardiologists in a particular region, the ones available are expected to put in extensive hours to ensure quality delivery of cardiac treatment to all the medical cases that come into a medical facility. Apart from the 60 hours a week, these professionals are also expected to report for on-call emergencies during their down time.

• Stressful work environments - Since the work hours are extensive and the cardiology professionals are expected to remain a part of ongoing researches to remain updated of the rare medical cases being reported and the latest technological advancements made in the field, the work environment stress is very high.

• Malpractice lawsuits - stringent rules of practice - Cardiologists are required to follow very stringent rules laid down by the Medical Council of India. Over the years, the number of malpractice lawsuits have increased owing to the access of medical information on the internet - whether deserved or not. It is advised to all those running individual practices to not go out of line trying to help patients in terms of medicinal treatment.

• For more such cases visit Buzz4health

Posted by: Vanhishikha Bhargava (http://www.buzz4health.com/blog/authors.html )