Career as a Cardiologist

Do you enjoy facing risks in your life? Would you prefer to make a decision under time and pressure? Do you have quick thinking? Do you aspire to be someone who supports others in maintaining heart health? This blog offers a thorough overview of a career as a cardiologist, including what they do, different career paths you can choose from, and various job opportunities.

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What does a Cardiologist Do? 

A cardiologist’s nature of work includes examining patients closely, communicating with them, and performing tests or examinations to identify, treat, and prevent cardiovascular issues or conditions.

• Conducting medical examinations and evaluating new patients.
• Ordering the patient’s diagnostic and laboratory tests and examining their test results.
• Creating a customized treatment plan for each patient after diagnosing them based on their test and lab results.
• Prescribing treatments and medications as necessary to treat conditions, giving patients ongoing care and support while keeping track of their recovery.
• Teaching patients the dangers of cardiovascular diseases and how to prevent them.

Job Roles 

• Non-Invasive Cardiologist
  A Non-Invasive Cardiologist concentrates on a variety of non-invasive cardiology procedures. The majority of their work is office-based, including managing patient clinics and providing cardiology consultations. Their responsibility is mainly to support the patients in preventing, diagnosing, and managing any potential heart problems.

• Invasive Cardiologist 
  An invasive cardiologist has all the same duties as a non-invasive cardiologist, but they have also received training in cardiac catheterization and other minor surgeries. When arterial blockages are identified through diagnostic testing, the treatment may involve inserting specialized endovascular products like stents, coils, or balloons to open any blocked blood vessels.

• Interventional Cardiologist 
  An Interventional Cardiologist is referred when the patient needs to undergo more complex procedures. They must carry out a variety of invasive cardiology procedures, such as heart catheterizations, as well as stent replacements in closed or diseased arteries, atherectomy, valve repairs, mesh stent placement in arteries that are narrowing, and balloon angioplasty to open blocked arteries.

• Cardiac Surgeons 
  Surgeons can earn additional credentials to become specialist cardiologists as they gain more experience. They are contacted when a significant operation on the heart, significant blood vessels, veins, or arteries is necessary. The most frequent operations carried out by cardiac surgeons include replacement of the heart’s valve, cardiac bypass surgery (CABG), correction of congenital heart defects, aneurysmal coiling, and artery bypass surgeries.

• Electrophysiologist Cardiologist 
  An electrophysiologist cardiologist is responsible for a variety of duties. By analyzing the heart’s bioelectrical impulses, electrophysiology can learn crucial details about a patient’s cardiac condition. They could perform electrophysiology, echocardiography, and practical work to map the electrical activity of the heart, as well as work to install pacemakers, defibrillators, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to target and destroy abnormal electrical pathways. Additionally, they might give a patient medication to treat heart failure and manage their irregular heartbeat.

• Transplant Cardiologist
  Patients who require or have undergone heart transplantation are the focus of a transplant cardiologist. They would typically be cardiac surgeons with a focus on transplant methods.

• Imaging Cardiologist
  A cardiac imaging specialist uses a variety of heart-related images in their work. This includes reading and interpreting cardiac stress test results, cardiac echocardiograms, cardiac CT scan images, and cardiac MRI scans.

• Heart Failure Cardiologist
  A Heart Failure Cardiologist, as the name implies, specializes in treating patients with heart failure and ensures comprehensive management of their health because cardiac failure frequently affects other organ systems.

Career path for becoming a Cardiologist 

Path 1

• Complete 12th grade from science stream with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
• Take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams to be admitted to a medical college.
• After the five-year MBBS program is completed.
• Apply to NEET-PG or AIIMS to ensure that you get a spot in a medical college where you can pursue post-graduate studies.
• Choose MD in Cardiology.

Path 2

• Complete 12th grade from science stream with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
• Take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams to be admitted to a medical college.
• After the five-year MBBS program is completed.
• Apply to NEET-PG or AIIMS to ensure that you get a spot in a medical college where you can pursue post-graduate studies.
• Choose MS General Surgery. 
• Pursue M.Ch in Cardiology which is a super specialization. 

Path 3

• Complete 12th grade from science stream with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
• Take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams to be admitted to a medical college.
• After the five-year MBBS program is completed.
• Apply to NEET-PG or AIIMS to ensure that you get a spot in a medical college where you can pursue post-graduate studies.
• Choose MS General Surgery.
• Finish one-year Fellowship in Cardiology. 

Path 4 

• Complete 12th grade from science stream with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
• Take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams to be admitted to a medical college.
• After the five-year MBBS program is completed.
• Apply to NEET-PG or AIIMS to ensure that you get a spot in a medical college where you can pursue post-graduate studies.
• Choose DNB in Cardiology.
• If you want to enrol directly in the second year of MS, you can take the MH-CET exam after completing your DNB; otherwise, you can complete a one-year fellowship in Cardiology after earning your DNB degree.

Salary of Cardiologists in different stages of career 

Profile	Salary
Non-Invasive Cardiologist	₹14.2 L
Invasive Cardiologist	₹47.5 L
Interventional Cardiologist	₹39 L
Cardiac Surgeons	₹24 L
Electrophysiologist Cardiologist	₹54 L

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Skills required to be a Cardiologist 

• Communication: Cardiologists of all experience levels and specialities must be proficient communicators because of the frequent interactions they must have with patients and other healthcare providers as part of their job duties. A cardiologist’s ability to communicate clearly is crucial in explaining difficult medical procedures to non-medical patients. When writing prescriptions for patients or creating medical reports, effective writing is another aspect of communication skills.

• Problem Solving: Cardiologists who have strong problem-solving abilities can plan for unforeseen circumstances at work and come up with effective strategies and solutions. Problem-solving skills help cardiologists better prioritize their tasks. Because of their successful problem allocation, analysis, and management, they typically have improved focus.

• Critical Thinking: Cardiologists assess their patients’ illnesses and their long-term effects on their general health and way of life using critical thinking skills. They can choose the best course of treatment for their patients and the necessary follow-up appointments to make sure they are healthy by critically analyzing their patients’ health. Cardiologists must have this ability because even a small error in diagnosis can be fatal to the patient.

• Empathy: A cardiologist must possess empathy because it enables them to understand the pain experienced by their patients and provide the best support possible. Life-threatening circumstances are most frequently encountered by patients with cardiovascular diseases. Being compassionate allows the cardiologist to provide them comfort and care. Empathy also enables doctors to understand their patients’ challenges with sensitivity and helps them continue their active participation to ensure positive outcomes.

• Dexterity:  Under duress, they might perform difficult operations. They require both mental and physical stamina because of the nature of their work. They also need to have excellent manual dexterity, particularly when carrying out complex surgical procedures.

• Intrapersonal Skills: To reassure, treat, and provide comfort to their patients, cardiologists must have confidence. Professionals who exude confidence encourage patients to speak candidly about their heart health and provide a safe space for them to do so. Additionally, it can help cardiologists establish themselves as dependable experts who genuinely care about their patients, which will enable them to support their patients more effectively.

Is Cardiologist a Good Career Option? 

Yes, Cardiology is a highly specialized and competitive subfield of medical science that requires individuals with dedication, skill, and passion to treat heart patients. For qualified candidates, the profession offers a fulfilling and rewarding career option despite its high demands and challenges. A cardiologist may operate alone in private medical practice, as part of a medical group, or in association with one or more hospitals. Cardiologists might move back and forth between a doctor’s office and a hospital during the course of a typical day.

Places where Cardiologists can work

• Hospital 
• Healthcare
• Research Institute
• Medical Colleges 
• Pharmaceutical Companies

Top Recruiters for Cardiologists 

• Mayo Clinic
• AIIMS
• Cleveland Clinic
• Fortis Escorts Heart Institute
• Stanford Hospital
• Asian Heart Institute 
• John Hopkins Hospital
• Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
• Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
• NYU Langone Hospital
• Max Superspecialty Hospital
• Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute 
• UC San Diego Health- Cardiovascular Institute
• Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of cardiac sciences
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital 

Qualification to become a Cardiologist 

Undergraduate in India 

To become a doctor, you must complete the four years of coursework and one year of internship required for the MBBS degree.

Postgraduate in India 

The above-mentioned degree takes two-three years to complete.

• MD Cardiology
• MS in General Surgery
• DNB in Cardiology
• Master of Chirurgiae 
• Diploma in Cardiology
• DM in Cardiology

Degrees Abroad 

Enrol in a 4-year program to earn an MBBS degree. You must enrol in a 6- to 8-year cardiology residency program after completing an internship a year. To practice as a respectable doctor in the state, obtain a license or board certification.

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I want to know More!

Books 

• A Gift of Heart
• When the Heart Speaks
• Learn ECG in a Day
• Fuster and Hurst’s The Heart
• Braunwald’s Heart Disease

Famous Personalities 

•  Antonio Abbate
• Steven Nissen
• Randall Starling
• David Taylor
• Jawahar Mehta
• Amir Lerman
• Valentin Fuster
• Roger Blumenthal
• Michael Fowler

We trust that you are now sufficiently informed to understand what it takes to be a cardiologist. Best wishes as you progress toward becoming one.

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