Many cardiology careers exist, with doctors holding a variety of subspecialties in cardiology research. Cardiology careers are not limited to physicians; medical assistants, medical technicians or technologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician’s assistants are all possibilities. Cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery are the two main areas of cardiology that could employ any of these skilled medical professionals. In most cases, a distinction is made between those who work in cardiology/cardiac surgery and those who work in pediatric cardiology/pediatric cardiothoracic surgery.
Adult cardiology residents typically spend three years learning about internal medicine after graduating from medical school before beginning a three-year cardiology residency. Those who complete this residency in three years are known as cardiologists, and they are most likely to work in doctor’s offices with patients who require examination and medical intervention. Cardiologists can specialize in certain types of intervention or testing, but not all doctors can specialize, and they may still perform many of the exams or procedures that cardiology subspecialists do. Furthermore, a doctor who subspecializes may have a thriving practice and treat patients who aren’t necessarily in need of the doctor’s specialty.
An echocardiologist is a doctor who studies and performs echocardiograms (heart sonograms or ultrasounds), which can be done directly on the chest wall or via a Doppler exam in the esophagus, known as a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). Interventional cardiology is another area of cardiology that can become a specialty. Interventional cardiologists may be the most skilled at procedures such as cardiac catheterization and any associated vein enlargement via balloon angiography or stent placement.
Electrophysiologists, on the other hand, are the experts in diagnosing and treating heart rhythm problems. Catheterization to the heart may be used to ablate or remove tissue that is causing arrhythmias. Other cardiologists specialize in nuclear cardiology and are skilled at administering tests such as stress tests to diagnose different types of heart disease or damage.
Pediatric cardiology has the same subspecialties as adult cardiology, but the path and focus are slightly different. Pediatric cardiologists complete medical school and then a three-year pediatric residency. Following that, a three-year residency in pediatric cardiology is required, with the option of pursuing a subspecialty requiring one to two additional years of study. Cardiothoracic surgeons have a different training path than general surgeons, learning general surgery first, then cardiology or pediatric surgery, and finally cardiothoracic surgery.
Cardiology careers exist for acute care or pediatric nurse practitioners, and trained medical professionals support any practice of cardiology. Some physician’s assistants are also able to specialize in this field. Intensive care nurses may specialize in cardiac units and pursue careers in cardiology. Cardiology careers can be found in a variety of technician and technologist positions. There are echocardiogram technicians, for example, who have received advanced training in radiology and have performed echocardiograms that are then reviewed physicians.
Additional cardiology careers are just as diverse as those in surgery. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses may work alongside surgeons and anesthesiologists who specialize in cardiac cases. Nurse practitioners, in particular, are frequently used in pediatric cardiology surgery to provide an extra layer of communication between surgeons and families whose children require surgical procedures. Surgical assistants and nurses are also present in the operating rooms.
The fact that there are numerous cardiology careers is self-evident. Which ones are most appealing to you may be determined your personal preferences and the amount of time it would take to train for each job. Those interested in cardiothoracic surgery or any other physician cardiac specialty should expect to spend years learning the necessary skills. While these jobs pay well, there are also high-paying cardiology jobs that require less education, such as registered nursing or echo technology. Many people find these fields of work fascinating, and they understand how important their work is to the practice of medicine.