The document outlines a career in cardiology, emphasizing its rewarding and challenging nature, alongside the necessary skills such as clinical expertise and manual dexterity. It details the training path, including medical school, foundation year, core medical training, and specialty training, culminating in a consultant role, with opportunities for research and fellowships. Various cardiology sub-specialties are described, including interventional cardiology, heart failure imaging, and electrophysiology, highlighting key procedures and technologies involved.

1. A CAREER IN
CARDIOLOGY
DR SHAMIM RAHMAN
CARDIOLOGY ST7, INTERVENTIONAL FELLOW
BHF CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW (IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON)
SPECIALTY CAREERS FAIR 2016

2. WHY CARDIOLOGY?
• REWARDING: sick patients that can be made better
• CHALLENGING: constant development within the profession – new research, new
devices, new drugs, new techniques
• SKILLS:
• Clinical and diagnostic skills of a medical physician (heart failure, congenital heart
disease)
• Acquisition and interpreting imaging (Echocardiography, CT scanning, MRI)
• Manual dexterity required for surgical skills in intervention and electrophysiology
(EP)
• COMPETITIVE – attracts high calibre, motivated junior doctors

3. CAREER PATH
Medical School (± BSc)
5-6 years
Foundation Year Training (FY1-2)
2 years
Core Medical Training (CT1-2)
2 years
Specialty Training (ST3-7)
5 years
Consultant Cardiologist
• Academic Career track: can start
from Foundation Year, Core Medical
Training or Specialty Training point
ending as a Consultant
• Research: time can be taken out of
training at any stage to pursue
research (e.g. Master’s, MD, PhD etc.)
• Fellowships: usually in addition to
and towards the end of ST training
MRCP
Exit exam

4. CARDIOLOGY SUB-SPECIALTIES
Intervention
EP
Imaging
Heart
Failure

5. INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY
• Acute treatment of heart attacks
• Unblocking arteries
• Putting in balloons and stents (PCI)
• Treating valvular heart disease
through minimal access “surgery”
• Closing holes in the heart
PCI: stent deployment within a coronary
artery

6. INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY
• Acute treatment of heart attacks
• Unblocking arteries
• Putting in balloons and stents (PCI)
• Treating valvular heart disease
through minimal access “surgery”
• Closing holes in the heart
TAVI: transcatheter aortic valve implantation

7. HEART FAILURE / IMAGING
• Treating failing hearts
• Use of sophisticated imaging
techniques (echo, CT, MRI)
• Performing invasive imaging studies
(transoesophageal
echocardiography)
• Imaging support intra-operatively
• Complex pacemaker insertion
Colour doppler of flow showing mitral
regurgitation by echo

8. HEART FAILURE / IMAGING
• Treating failing hearts
• Use of sophisticated imaging
techniques (echo, CT, MRI)
• Performing invasive imaging studies
(transoesophageal
echocardiography)
• Imaging support intra-operatively
• Complex pacemaker insertion
CMR: MRI modelling of the heart

9. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY (EP)
• Arrhythmia diagnosis
• Ablation of atrial and ventricular
arrhythmias
• Complex device insertion – ICDs,
biventricular pacemakers, LAA
occluder
• Sudden Cardiac Death in young
patients, athletes – diagnosis,
management
EP Study: mapping and ablating arrhythmias

10. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY (EP)
• Arrhythmia diagnosis
• Ablation of atrial and ventricular
arrhythmias
• Complex device insertion – ICDs,
biventricular pacemakers, LAA
occluder
• Sudden Cardiac Death in young
patients, athletes – diagnosis,
management
CRT-D: Biventricular pacemaker with ICD