By: Ishika Desai
The medical field is an intricate and vast field filled with various specialties. One of these special fields is Cardiology. Cardiologists are experts in heart/blood vessel disease, heart health, and disease prevention. They treat chest pain and blood pressure and analyze heart and health anatomy. Cardiologists also order tests like echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, and CTs. The journey to becoming a cardiologist is a tedious one, but equally as fulfilling.
Becoming a cardiologist requires taking STEM-related classes and extracurriculars. In high school, aspiring cardiologists should focus on taking science-heavy classes like Biology, Chemistry, and Anatomy to prepare for the future content they will have to study. In mathematics, future cardiologists should take advanced math classes to develop their analysis and reasoning skills. For extracurriculars, they should join clubs related to the medical field like science honor societies or HOSA, and move towards leadership in these clubs. Job shadowing doctors is another activity for gaining insight into cardiology.
In college, the tedious coursework continues. Most cardiologists major in pre-med, biology, chemistry, or biochemistry to understand the foundations of natural science. Aspiring cardiologists also research to enhance an undergrad’s understanding of their desired field and to bolster their application to medical school. Finally, many undergrads gain clinical exposure to learn about the field of cardiology by working with professionals themselves.
All in all, becoming a cardiologist involves 14 years of school work, residency, and fellowship. The average pay of a cardiologist is over 300 thousand dollars but can vary depending on region. While getting to the desired job in this field is quite tedious, it is a fulfilling and rewarding journey.
Works Cited
guide, step. “How to become a cardiologist.” CareerExplorer, https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/cardiologist/how-to-become/. Accessed 6 July 2024.
“What Is a Cardiologist? What They Do and When to See One.” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21983-cardiologist. Accessed 6 July 2024.
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