There is a lot of interest in the medical field of late, in part due to the experience of living through a global pandemic. You might think students who want to become physicians would be anxious about their career choice in light of recent circumstances, but for many future medical professionals, the pandemic has only strengthened their passion for helping others. Patients who don’t receive timely and high-quality treatment for cardiovascular issues can be at serious risk for heart attacks, stroke, and other types of heart disease, which is why cardiovascular care is so essential within the medical ecosystem. If you’re interested in cardiology, read on to find out what it takes to become a cardiologist.
What does it take to become a cardiologist?
No matter what specialty you want to pursue, obtaining a quality education is the first step for anyone who wants to become a doctor. Both your undergraduate education and your performance in medical school should be exemplary if you’re hoping to succeed in a demanding field. You should consider investing in college admissions prep services during the admissions process. If you want to get into your dream school, a professional college counselor can help you figure out exactly what they’re looking for in an applicant.
Once you’ve decided your interest is cardiology, it’s a good idea to look for some doctors and practices with the type of career you desire to have. You can learn a lot by studying their background and path to success. The Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology & Preventive Medicine is a great example of one of the most well-respected medical facilities in the country. Dr. Arash Bereliani in particular has received many awards and is considered by many to be the best heart doctor in Los Angeles.
After school, you’ll need to complete your residency. Different specialties have different residency requirements, but cardiology students will have to start with an internal medicine residency, which typically lasts three years. While some doctors can start practicing after residency, cardiologists will also need to complete a cardiology fellowship, which will take an additional three years. After that, you can also look into pursuing a yearlong subspecialty fellowship in practice areas like electrophysiology and interventional cardiology.
What else should you know about working in medicine?
Working in health care can involve a lot of stress, so it’s necessary to develop stress management techniques that work for you. Sleep is particularly important for undergraduates, medical students, and doctors who are in the training process. Demanding hours and a lot of schoolwork can make it hard to get enough rest, but medical professionals won’t deliver their best care to patients if they are sleep-deprived. There is a push within the medical community to ease some of the more egregious demands placed on people training for a medical career, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Anyone going into the medical field right now should also be aware of the impact COVID-19 may have on their current or future jobs. Since COVID-19 has shown that it can affect the cardiovascular system in various ways, there’s likely to be massive demand for well-trained cardiologists for the foreseeable future. If you want to help people who have been affected by the global pandemic in a serious way, becoming a cardiologist will give you plenty of opportunities to do so.
Becoming a cardiologist isn’t easy. After medical school, you’ll still have years of training to complete before you become an independently practicing physician. However, this is largely due to the complex and fascinating nature of the work you’ll be doing. Cardiology can be a difficult field, but it also offers the opportunity to help address one of the most significant medical challenges facing the country. Anyone who is looking for a career as a physician that is equal parts engaging and rewarding should consider specializing in cardiology.