What Is a Cardiologist? – HealthCommunities.com

Posted: Published on August 22nd, 2015

This post was added by Dr P. Richardson

Cardiologist Education & Training, Examination & Certification

A cardiologist is a physician who is certified to treat problems of the cardiovascular systemthe heart, arteries, and veins. Cardiology is classified as an internal medicine subspecialty. Knowledge of internal medicine and other specialties is required to obtain 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.

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.

Knowledge and competence in performing and interpreting tests and procedures must be acquired in the following:

The program must provide opportunities for residents to acquire experience with the performance and (where applicable) interpretation of:

The program must provide sufficient experience for residents to acquire skill in the interpretation of:

The program must provide instruction in basic science, including: cardiovascular anatomy, cardiovascular physiology, cardiovascular metabolism, and molecular biology of the cardiovascular system; cardiovascular pharmacology, including drug metabolism, adverse effects, indications, the effects on aging, relative costs of therapy, and the effects of noncardiovascular drugs upon cardiovascular function. It also must provide instruction on prevention, including: cardiovascular pathology; epidemiology and biostatistics, risk factors, and lipid disorders.

The physician must become proficient in the following skills and techniques:

Once training is satisfactorily completed, the physician is eligible to take the American Board of Internal Medicine cardiology examination.

Subspecialties have developed along with new tests and therapeutic interventions. Subspecialization in these areas usually requires 1 or 2 additional years of highly specialized formal training.

The designation of Fellow of The American College of Cardiology (FACC) represents recognition of high professional achievement in a cardiovascular subspecialty. FACC candidates must be certified both by a primary specialty board and by a subspecialty board that is a member either of the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Advisory Board for Osteopathic Specialists of the American Osteopathic Association.

Candidates must provide written evidence from their communities showing that they are recognized as specialists and consultants or as scientists. Candidates for FACC must have completed the required subspecialty training 18 months prior to review by the Credentials Committee of the American College of Cardiology.

Go here to read the rest:
What Is a Cardiologist? - HealthCommunities.com

Related Posts
This entry was posted in Cardiology. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.