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What is a cardiologist?

What is a cardiologist? In the medical field, this is one of the most prestigous occupations you can achieve. In this blog we will know what a cardiologist is and what do they do.

A cardiologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases in the cardiovascular system. In case you didn't know, the cardiovascular system consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels. So basically, a cardiologist gives treatment to diseases that involve these three.

Cardiology is a complex field and it has its own different areas. Some of these different fields are for different ages like pediatric cardiology and adult cardiology. Other cardiologists specialize themselves into interventional procedures like echocardiology and electrophysiology.

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Why should you become a cardiologist?

Being a cardiologist takes a lot of responsibility. You must be able to withstand the struggles and risks possible to attain a career like this. But if you can handle being a cardiologist, you can get a lot of benefits in return.

One of the reasons why people want to become a cardiologist or a doctor in general is because they want to find new and innovative ways to treat patients. The Hippocratic Oath still holds a lot of value to the doctors, saying that they should treat patients to their best abilities. Nothing else drives us in being a doctor than striving to help patients.

Another good reason to become a cardiologist is because we get to communicate with the patients. The best feeling in being a doctor knowing that you are able to heal people. And to be able to talk to them, it feels triumphant every time.

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How do you become a cardiologist?

1. Earn a bachelor degree.

- You should be able to graduate with a four-year undergraduate degree. Even though there is still no required major, most people aspiring to be cardiologists opt for a cardiovascular technology (CVT) degree, although these programs are very competitive and you need to fill your requirements before even being considered.

2. Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

- This test is standardized to evaluate the student's critical thinking and knowledge on science concepts. Schools will accept test scores that are less than 3 years old.

3. Apply to medical school.

- There will be four years of medical school. The first two years will be alloted for acquiring knowledge on medical practices and examining patients for medical history details. The last two will be used for internship, in which the students will work under doctor's supervision for them to gain experience in a real-life hospital setting.

4. Apply for a residency program.

- After graduating, students may take a residency program which will be guided by physicians. It can last from three (3) to six (6) years depending on which specialization you take.

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Advantages

Cardiologists are one of the most compensated workers. This means that you can earn a lot of money for taking care of another person's heart. In the United States, the median approximate salary is $420,991 per year (which is worth 20 million pesos).

Can you just imagine how good it feels when you become an official cardiologist? It means that being able to be one is very rewarding. This career is one of the most prestigous occupations in the medical field.

Cardiologists do not perform surgical operations, those are handled by cardiac surgeons. This is a benefit because cardiologists can spend time analyzing the condition of the heart and finding treatments for it without having too much pressure. They only provide health care services that affect the patient.

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Disadvantages

One of the many disadvantages of being a cardiologist is their work schedule. At certain areas, there is an insufficient amount of cardiologists so it takes a lot of time to consult the many patients in need. The work time usually takes a cardiologist up to 60 hours but that doesn't include the on-call emergencies that may come.

To be a cardiologist, you must take up a lot of education to become qualified as such. Qualifications usually include a four-year bachelor's degree plus four years of medical school. After that, a residency program should be completed, and that may take up from four (4) to eight (8) years.

Another disadvantage is that you don't really get to earn your hard earned money immediately once you become a doctor. First of all, the college fee and medical fee will sure cost a lot. You won't even get your cardiologist's salary until you finish your residency and have paid your debts.

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Sources:

What is a Cardiologist? (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://www.texasheart.org/heart-health/heart-information-center/topics/what-is-a-cardiologist/

Nordqvist, C. (2017, April 03). Cardiology: What to expect. Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248935.php

(n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://study.com/cardiologist_education.html

How to Become a Cardiologist. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2018, from http://doctorly.org/how-to-become-a-cardiologist/

Pros & Cons of Being a Cardiologist. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://bizfluent.com/about-7524332-pros-cons-being-cardiologist.html

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Health Performance Task

Chosen Career:

Cardiologist

Submitted by:

Jakob Francis G. Rubio

10 - St. Mayeul