A cardiologist
is a physician who is certified to treat problems of the cardiovascular
system—the heart, arteries, and veins. Cardiology is classified as an
internal medicine subspecialty. Knowledge of internal medicine and other
specialties is required to obtain certification.
Education in Internal Medicine
- Graduation from an approved medical school
- Completion of an ACGME-accredited internal medicine residency
program, which is a minimum of 3 years in length
- There must be a minimum of 2 years of meaningful patient contact and
responsibility.
- Of the 2 years, 20 months must occur in in-patient services,
ambulatory settings, and in the services of dermatology or neurology.
- Four months may be taken outside the above areas, subject to program
director approval.
- The level of responsibility for patients must increase with each
year of training.
Examination and Certification
After satisfactory completion of graduate education, the physician is
allowed to take the Internal Medicine board certification examination.
Once this examination has been passed, the physician receives board
certification in internal medicine. This is a prerequisite to becoming
certified in cardiology.
Education in Cardiovascular Disease Medicine
A subspecialty educational program in cardiology must provide training and
supervised experience in the evaluation and management of a variety of
patients with acute and chronic cardiovascular conditions. The training
and experience must be 3 years in duration and at a level sufficient to
acquire the competency of a specialist in the field.
- 24 months minimum of clinical training, including inpatient and
special experiences
- 4 months in the cardiac catheterization laboratory
- 6 months in noninvasive cardiac evaluations, consisting of 3 months
of echocardiography, 2 months of nuclear cardiology, and 1 month of
other noninvasive cardiac evaluations, including at least exercise
stress testing, ECG interpretation, and ambulatory ECG recording
- 2 months devoted to electrophysiology, pacemaker follow-up, and ICDs
- 8 months of non laboratory clinical practice activities (e.g.,
consultations, cardiac care units, postoperative care of cardiac surgery
patients)
Knowledge and competence in performing and interpreting tests and
procedures must be acquired in the following:
- history and physical examination; basic and advanced cardiac life
support; elective cardioversion; bedside right heart catheterization;
insertion and management of temporary pacemakers, including transvenous
and transcutaneous; right and left heart catheterization, including
coronary arteriography
- residents must participate in a minimum of 100 catheterizations;
exercise stress testing; a minimum of 50 ECG tests; echocardiography
- residents must perform and interpret a minimum of 150 studies,
including transesophageal and esophageal cardiac studies;
pericardiocentesis; programming and follow-up surveillance of permanent
pacemakers and ICDs; cardiovascular rehabilitation
