By: Noshin Chowdhury
“You were 24 with terminal cervical CA. I was 24 and graduating nursing school. You cried softly with fear in your eyes and told me ‘I don't want to die. I don’t want to be forgotten’. You died a few weeks later. I have never forgotten you”, says a tweet from an aspiring cardiologist, Nicole Spira. Being a cardiologist comes with several obstacles, ranging from dealing with death to 45-50 hour work weeks. However, all of this hard work is due to the fact that a cardiologist’s role in society is extremely important. They are critical to individuals of all ages because of their essential role in diagnosing and treating diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Cardiologists carry out tests and perform certain procedures, such as heart catheterizations, angioplasty, or inserting pacemakers. They deal with older patients, due to their weaker hearts and lipofuscin, or people with diseases like Aorta disease, Deep vein thrombosis, and Coronary artery disease. They work with infectious disease doctors, pulmonologists, radiologists, primary care doctors, as well as a few others.
The role of a cardiologist has specifically skyrocketed in value during this critical time. According to the European society of Cardiology, and the Heart and Stroke foundation, here are several reasons why:
The electrical pulses of the heart become irregular due to the medication used to treat COVID-19 patients.
Up to 15%-31% of COVID-19 patients had hypertension
35% had a variety of underlying conditions. For instance, many patients had cardiomyopathy and/or coronary artery disease. These two diseases add to the problems of circulation of gases through the body. Cardiomyopathy causes the heart to enlarge and the heart muscles become weaker, causing it to give in and resulting in death. Cardiomyopathy cannot be cured, but lifestyle changes, medication, implanting devices to correct arrhythmias, and other treatment options can be done by a cardiologist in order to reduce symptoms and control the disease. Coronary artery disease, on the other hand, occurs when major blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart become damaged or diseased. If not controlled, this will cause problems in circulation and eventually death. Various medications help reduce artery clots and heart damage, widen blood vessels, decrease pain, and help regulate the heart rhythm. Also, procedures such as angioplasty or stents can be performed by cardiologists to keep this disease’s side effects to a minimum.
Like other medical professionals, the road to becoming a cardiologist and saving lives is not only hard and competitive, but also time-consuming. At the same time, it is an extremely fulfilling journey. As specialized doctors, they have to go through a couple of years more of training. It starts with the typical 4 years of college as an undergraduate, in which you will receive a bachelor’s degree. This is one prerequisite of many when applying to medical school. During this period of time, many aspiring cardiologists sign up for courses in:
Chemistry/biochemistry
Biology
Physics
Mathematics
Writing
Engineering/ psychology.
Following that, students are expected to make it to medical school. Medical school acceptance rates in the United States stands at 41%. The rate may seem high, but in reality, they are very selective. To strengthen your application, volunteer hours, research experience, clinical experience, and extracurriculars relating to the field of medicine are recommended. Students will need to turn in their resumes, letters of recommendation, and more. Meanwhile, they are required to prepare for a very essential examination, the MCATs. This exam is a computer-based, standardized exam for students in various countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean Islands. It assesses your problem-solving skills, critical thinking, analysis, and understanding of scientific concepts. The average MCAT score is 510 out of 528. You want to get way higher than the average to get into your desired medical school.
The first two years of medical school are comprised of basic sciences like pathology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. A rigorous 8-hour exam consisting of more than 300 multiple choices is taken as your first medical licensing exam. It is called the USMLE Step 1. The score for this exam is used as a benchmark for your residency programs. You spend your third and fourth year at a hospital where you apply what you learned during the first two years. In the third year, you will rotate through the core career paths of Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Surgery, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry. This is followed by the USMLE Step 2 and Step 2 CS, both of which are 8-9 hour exams. Cardiology is a sub-specialty of internal medicine, which means you need to do an internal medicine residency in order to become a cardiologist. Three years will be spent on internal residency and another three years will be spent on a cardiology fellowship. 1-2 years will be spent on a specific sub-specialty of cardiology, like Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology Fellowship, and more. Doctors must take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to be licensed.
A total of about 13 years is spent on education to be a cardiologist. With an average payment of $25,792 and the fulfilling job of saving lives, many people think the rigorous journey is definitely worth it.
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