How Long Does It Take To Become A Cardiologist

The answer to how long does it take to become a cardiologist is dependent on the field of study you are currently in. It requires extensive training, academic and practical, and a lot of focus as well to become a well seasoned cardiologist. Cardiologists are doctors who are highly specialized and focus on the medical treatment of heart. It is difficult to become a cardiologist; however, it can be a very rewarding experience. The answer to how long does it take to become a cardiologist is listed below.

It is essential that to become a cardiologist, you need to have a basic understanding and familiarity with medicine, i.e. medical subjects which have been taken up in high school. Although it is not imperative and does not affect how long it takes to become a cardiologist, it will definitely make you familiar enough that you know some of the medical jargon and recognize the way forward.

To become a cardiologist, you first get an undergraduate degree from a college or university. This undergraduate degree or bachelors will take up to four years of study in this discipline. Hence, before entering medical school, you need to have completed premedical courses as an undergraduate. It is important you when you are in college it is recommended to take up medical subjects, although most of science degree have them anyway for any future cardiologists. In general, a biology or chemistry degree means are preferred. If you are not a science major as an undergrad, so then you must carefully select premedical coursework for medical school.

Then, how long does it take to become a cardiologist, with four years of bachelor’s degree, and then four additional years of medical school to get your Medical Doctor degree (M.D). In all these four years, medical schools require at least one year of biology, one year of general chemistry, 1 year physics and 1 year of organic chemistry. In addition, most medical schools require at least a minimum amount of mathematics, and even some English courses. However, it may also be possible that you fail a subject or a year, so you may have to repeat the year, adding another year to already the time you are spending to become a cardiologist.

Often some countries, like the United States require you to earn a medical license, for which you have to give tests. If you are unable to clear it, it adds more time to how long does it take to become a cardiologist.

Once you have completed your post graduate, your postgraduate training will begin with a three year residency in internal medicine. Your residency will including completing a series of clinical rotations in different specialties in internal medicine, such as cardiology, oncology, respiratory medicine, endocrinology and gastroenterology. Then follows a two year fellowship, where you will be doing cardiology rotations amongst other things. Thus, cardiology fellowships usually take up to two to three to finally complete. Hence, the answer to how long does it take to become a cardiologist is approximately fifteen years.