Cardiologist

A cardiologist is a physician who is trained and certified in cardiovascular medicine. This physician diagnoses problems with the heart, lungs, blood vessels and arteries and treats conditions such as heart attack, hypertension, stroke and coronary artery disease.

The field of cardiology is a sub-specialty of general internal medicine. A physician becomes a cardiologist by first becoming board certified in internal medicine and then training for three additional years with patients who have acute or chronic cardiovascular conditions before taking the American Board of Internal Medicine cardiology exam.

A cardiologist may perform such procedures as cardiac catheterization, echocardiograms, pacemaker insertion, stress testing and angioplasty. A cardiologist can be a consultant a patient sees only a few times for an acute condition or he may be a primary, long term provider for those patients with chronic heart problems. A cardiologist must be skilled not only in recognizing heart conditions, he must also be proficient in managing chronic cardiac illnesses and in utilizing highly technical procedures and tests. Because of the ongoing research and advances in cardiovascular medicine, some cardiologists are continuing to train in sub-specializations such as interventional cardiology (surgical procedures), electrophysiology (dealing with pacemakers and defibrillators), nuclear cardiology (non-invasive testing using a radioactive dye to determine blockage and heart damage) and echocardiography (ultrasound technology). In addition, although most of the patients a cardiologist will see are middle-aged and older adults, pediatric cardiologists specialize in treating children with congenital heart defects.

Many cardiologists today are also focusing on preventative medicine, advising patients on diet, weight loss and exercise and lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation and managing stress. A cardiologist may be in private practice, but many work in a group practice, often affiliated with coronary care or cardiac units of hospitals.

'Cardiologist' Sources:
  1. Sugar-Webb, Jan. "Internal Medicine Specialties." Opportunities in Physician Careers, Rev. Ed., New York McGraw-Hill Professional (2005), 41-43.
  2. Healthcommunities.com, Inc. "What is a Cardiologist?" May 8, 2007. http://www.cardiologychannel.com/cardiologist.shtml

 

 

 

 

 
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