What Does a Cardiologist Do?

Get access to the job designation, duty and responsibility, employment, work schedule, qualifications, technical skills and pay scale of a Cardiologist

Job designation: -Cardiologist

Cardiologists are physicians who specialize in diagnosing and managing conditions of the heart. They use a combination of tests, imaging, and patient history to determine how best to treat patients.

Duties and responsibilities of a Cardiologist

Cardiologists are doctors who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease. There are many duties and responsibilities that go along with this job including diagnosing patients, managing medications, performing procedures to correct problems with the heart muscle. 

• Perform advanced diagnostic testing to discover underlying causes of cardiovascular disease

• Prescribe medications and treatments for cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases

• Conduct research on new and innovative treatments for cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases

• Provide treatment recommendations to patients with complex or unusual cases

• Perform cardiac catheterization procedures on patients with suspected coronary artery disease or heart failure

• Perform cardiac surgery on patients with severe forms of coronary artery disease or heart failure

• Administer CPR in the event of a cardiac emergency

• Maintain medical records on patients with complex cases or unusual conditions

• Develop electronic health records systems for hospitals

• Provide education to patients with cardiovascular

Places of employment for a Cardiologist

Most Cardiologists are employed by hospitals or private practices. A hospital is an ideal place to work because patients are typically referred to them. A private practice can be established by a Cardiologist on their own, without the help of an employer. 

Work schedule of a Cardiologist

Cardiology is a very busy field. A typical day for a Cardiologist may start with an early morning cardiac catheterization followed by a busy day of consults and procedures. Depending on the experience of the Cardiologist, they may have to work 12-14 hour workdays with few breaks in between.

Qualifications required to become a Cardiologist

To become a cardiologist in India, a person should have a degree from a recognized university and be qualified with a postgraduate diploma from a recognized institution. However, to be eligible for registration as a cardiologist, one has to complete 3 years of post-qualification training that includes 3 months internship after which he/she must pass an examination at the National Board of Examination (NBE) as per guidelines by Indian Medical Council (IMC) as well as other organizations.

Under-graduate courses to become a Cardiologist

• MBBS

Eligibility to pursue the course: -

• MBBS admission requires a general category student to have a score of at least 50% in PCB ((physics, chemistry and biology) and English in class 12th

• For the reserved category candidates, meeting an aggregate of 40% in physics, chemistry, biology and English is required in class 12th

• The candidate must be 17 years of age or above by the end of the current year

Entrance-exams to be taken to pursue the course

• NEET-UG

Institutes which are offering these courses

• CMC Vellore - Christian Medical College

• AIIMS Delhi - All India Institute of Medical Sciences New

• KMC Manipal - Kasturba Medical College

• MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore

• AFMC Pune - Armed Forces Medical College

Post-graduate courses for a Cardiologist

• MSc in Cardiology

Eligibility to pursue the course: -

• Graduate in Science with above 60% pass

Entrance-exams to be taken to pursue the course

• NEET-SS

Institutes which are offering these courses

•  CMC Vellore - Christian Medical College

• AIIMS Delhi - All India Institute of Medical Sciences New

• KMC Manipal - Kasturba Medical College

• MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore

• AFMC Pune - Armed Forces Medical College

Key/Technical skills

• Empathy: Being able to understand the patient’s perspective.

• Communication: Consistently conveying information in a clear and concise manner.

• Discipline: Setting short-term goals.

• Responsibility: Delivering exceptional customer service while maintaining professionalism.

• Adaptability: Adapting to changes in the workplace and workflow. 

Salary expectations

• Average salary: -Rs. 14 lakhs per annum

• Entry level salary: - Rs. 9 lakhs per annum

• Experienced-level salary: - Rs. 20 lakhs per annum

Process of getting the job of a Cardiologist

• Placement from colleges, universities and other recognized institutions

• Job searching on LinkedIn or Indeed for Cardiologist posts

• Checking out any institution’s profile and requirements for a Cardiologist