Best Cardiology Schools: List of Top U.S. Schools

Cardiology programs provide students with an understanding of core medical knowledge, practice and research. Several programs, like those offered at the nationally-ranked University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University, provide medical residencies and fellowships to guide M.D.s through their medical education and career.

Ranked sixth in the nation in internal medicine according to U.S. News & World Report in 2015, Penn Medicine's Department of Medicine offers 12 academic divisions, including cardiology. Penn Medicine offers residency in cardiovascular surgery in the divisions of cardiovascular surgery and general thoracic surgery. The program, based on clinical research and application of surgical techniques, gives residents and fellows the chance to study in all three subspecialties of cardiovascular surgery, including adult cardiac, general thoracic and congenital heart surgery. Penn Medicine also offers a 3-year Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program in which the third year is based on the fellow's specific interests within the field of cardiovascular medicine.

Stanford University's medical school, ranked 8th in internal medicine by U.S. News & World Report in 2015, offers medical training at three levels, including medical education, residency and fellowship. Students interested in cardiology will first follow a core curriculum, and eventually will have the opportunity to choose a scholarly concentration (SC) in one of the eight foundation areas; after choosing a foundation area, students have the option of applying what they've learned to a specific area of medicine, one being cardiovascular pulmonary.

Once students have completed their medical education, they are ready for residency, during which they may rotate through cardiology consultation services at the VA hospital and the Coronary Care Unit at Stanford University. Finally, 3-year fellowships are available in the field of cardiovascular diseases with laboratory and clinical research requirements at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center; advanced fellowships are available in several specialized cardiology subfields.

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Best Cardiology Schools: List of Top U.S. Schools