Cardiology is a medical specialty and a branch of internal medicine concerned with disorders of the heart. It deals with the diagnosis and treatment of such conditions as congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, electrophysiology, heart failure, and valvular heart disease. Subspecialties of the cardiology field include cardiac electrophysiology, echocardiography, interventional cardiology, and nuclear cardiology. A cardiologist is a physician who is specialized in this field of medicine.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) performed the first successful heart transplant in India in the year 1994 with a team of well-qualified doctors. Apollo heart hospital is one of the renowned hospitals in India for treating heart disorders and conducting transplantation as well as surgery.
Cardiology is a specialty medical branch that deals with heart defects, coronary artery disease, electrophysiology, heart failure, and valvular heart disease.
Top Colleges:
Cardiology is regarded as one of the distinguished specializations in the medical course. There are many reputed colleges in India that provide a full-time degree in this subject. Some of the top colleges that provide Cardiology as a course are mentioned below:
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
- Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC)
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Pondicherry
- Dayanand Medical College and Hospital( DMCH), Punjab
- Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre
- North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong.
- Christian Medical College, Vellore.
- Kasturba Medical College
- King Georges Medical University, Lucknow.
- Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
Highlights
The Cardiology Highlights section contains all the details regarding the course in a summarized format for the easy understanding of the students. This section contains brief information regarding the duration of the course, the admission process, eligibility criteria, top recruiters, etc.
Course Level | Doctorate |
---|---|
Duration | 3 years |
Eligibility | A Degree in M.B.B.S or equivalent with one year of complete internship. |
Admission process | Some institutions have their own entrance examination, while many reputed institutions accept the scorecard of National level entrance examination. |
Course Fee | INR 20,000 - 2,00,000 |
Average Salary | INR 2,00,00 - 18,00,000 |
Top Recruiters |
KIMS Hospitals, Max Cure Hospitals, OLIVA Clinic, Femiint Health, PACE Hospitals, etc |
Top Career/Job Profiles | Cardiologist, Assistant Cardiology Supervisor, Cardiology Surgeon, Nuclear Cardiologist, etc |
Eligibility
Before applying for Cardiology, students should check their eligibility for the same. If any student is found ineligible then the registration process of the candidate will be canceled. The eligibility criteria for Doctorate Degree in Cardiology mentioned below:
Course | Duration | Eligibility | Entrance |
---|---|---|---|
M.D in Cardiology | 3 years |
|
AIIMS PG, NEET PG |
Top Recruiters
Cardiology brings in a lot of opportunities for its students. There are many national wide well-known institutions like Max Cure Hospitals who prefer Cardiologist, Assistant Cardiology, Cardiology Surgeon from Cardiology background. Students who are interested in this field can build their bright futures with the lucrative job offers provided by the Medical Industry. Here are the top recruiters of this course:
- KIMS Hospitals
- Max Cure Hospitals
- OLIVA Clinic
- Femiint Health
- PACE Hospitals
- Soujanya Diagnostics
- Bloom Hospitals
Admission Process
Admission into Cardiology in most of the colleges is done on the basis of performance in the national entrance examination like NEET P.G, PGIMER. AIIMS, etc. Only the students who score above or equal to the cut-off will be eligible for the admission process. The merit list of students will be prepared according to the cut-off mark. Many institutions have a Group Discussion stage, yet many institutions directly invite students for the counselling process. However, some institutes carry out their own entrance exams followed by personal interviews and counseling in some cases.
Syllabus
Syllabus for Cardiology may differ from one Institute to another. The syllabus of the course highlights the complete course curriculum of a particular degree. It is classified accordingly to the core subjects selected by the candidates.
The important subjects under cardiology are:
Clinical Cardiology:
Clinical Evaluation, Hemodynamic, Etiopathology, Non-Invasive and Invasive Evaluation and Management Strategies for the following disorders:
Coronary artery disease | Rheumatic heart disease |
Congenital heart disease and other pediatric cardiac disorders | Cardiac arrhythmias |
Heart failure | Pulmonary thromboembolism and pulmonary hypertension |
Heart muscle diseases | Geriatric heart disease |
Epidemiology and preventive cardiology | Pregnancy and heart disease |
Electrocardiography | Invasive Cardiology |
Electrophysiology | Congenital heart disease and other pediatric cardiac disorders |
Pericardial diseases | Cardiac arrhythmias |
Peripheral vascular disorders | Systemic hypertension |
Systemic diseases involving a heart | Traumatic heart disease |
Tumours of heart | Genetics, molecular biology and immunology related to cardiology |
Geriatric heart disease | General anaesthesia and non-cardiac surgery in patients with heart disease |
Non-invasive Technique: Performing and Interpreting various Non-Invasive Techniques
Electrocardiography | Radiography-routine and specialized areas like CT and MRI |
Stress testing-tread mill test, stress-related and other nuclear techniques | Holter monitoring for arrhythmias and ischemic disorders |
Echocardiography-M-mode, two dimensional, Doppler, colour flow imaging, transoesophageal echocardiography and echo directed hemodynamic studies. |
Invasive Cardiology
Experience in cardiac catheterization to calculate and interpret various hemodynamic parameters | Right and left heart Cath and coronary angiography procedures (Both Adults and Children) |
Temporary Pacemaker Insertion | Electrophysiology |
Assist in interventions including valvuloplasty, coronary and congenital interventions |
Biomedical Aspects:
Functional Principles of various Bio-Medical equipment used for the Invasive and Non-Invasive Cardiology.
Research Projects:
- Functional principles of various Bio-Medical equipment used for the Invasive and Non-Invasive Cardiology.
- Research Projects
- The recommended number of projects is two, while one of them should be prospective in nature.
- Students' submitted project should be indexed into a journal before the same.
- Special credit will be given for additional published case reports and articles.
- The candidate should write two reviews of the topics presented in the seminar.
Skills Required
The aspirants of the Cardiology Course should have some of the primary skills for a bright future in the long run. Not all skills are inherited rather many have endured a long practicing period and then have earned a particular skill set. Some of the important skills required in this field of Cardiology are mentioned below:
- Patience and politeness
- Ability to build a harmonious relationship with their patients
- Strong Ethics
- Service mentality
- Self-motivating
- Understanding the situations
- Good communication skills
Top Entrances
Many institutions offer admission into Cardiology only after a student qualifies in the entrance examination. Different universities or colleges have a separate entrance examination for cardiology. Many other institutions accept scorecard from a specified national level common entrance like NEET, AIIMS, PGIMER, etc. When choosing Cardiology as a career, the students need to qualify one of these entrance exams, these are mentioned below:
- National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG)
- All India Institute for Medical Science (AIIMS) Entrance Exam
- Indian College of Cardiology Entrance Exam
- N.T.R University of Health Sciences Entrance Exam
- Institute Of Medical Sciences Entrance Exam
- Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Entrance Exam
- Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) Entrance Exam
- SRM Medical university entrance exam
Careers & Job Prospects
A career in Cardiology can provide a very lucrative future. With a degree in Cardiology, one may avail one of many high paying jobs like becoming a Cardiologist or an Assistant Cardiology. In this field, one can also be a lecturer for any medical college. In recent years the demand for heart specialty has increased and so has the career avenues of skilled cardiologists. Here, are some of the top career/job profiles associated with the field.
Job Profile | Job Description | Average Salary Per annum |
---|---|---|
Cardiologist | A Cardiologist is responsible for caring for patients with diseases or deformities of the heart or vascular system. They also specialize in diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases in the cardiovascular system that includes heart and blood vessels. They also diagnose and treat injuries of the heart and vascular system. | 15 - 20 lakhs |
Assistant Cardiology Supervisor | They supervise daily operations within the cardiology department. Monitor the work of staff members and ensures the quality of tests, procedures, and other aspects of patient care. Typically reports to a manager or head of a unit/department. | 2 - 3 lakhs |
Cardiology Surgeon | Cardiology surgeons deal with diseases of the chest. Typically, that's heart disease for patients who are having heart attacks and chest pains, and coronary artery disease for patients who are experiencing abnormalities of the arteries, valves and blood vessels feeding the heart. | 25 - 30 lakhs |
Electrocardiography Technician | Electrocardiograph (EKG) Technicians are medical practitioners who administer tests to determine the cardiovascular health of patients. Their primary duties include performing diagnostic tests on patients, monitoring patient blood pressure and collecting medical data for use by doctors. | 3 - 5 lakhs |
Nuclear Cardiologist | A nuclear cardiologist uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and treat patients' heart problems non-invasively. The nuclear cardiologist then studies the resulting images, looking for anomalies in blood vessels or the heart muscle, and develops an appropriate treatment plan. | 2 - 3 lakhs |
FAQ's
Q: Do cardiologists do surgery?
A: Cardiothoracic Surgeons generally perform surgery of the heart and chest. Cardiologists work with surgeons to manage patients and determine whether the patient needs surgery. They might also work together to treat irregular heartbeat problems.
Q: What is a cardiology test?
A: An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat by measuring the amount of electrical activity passing through the heart muscle, a cardiologist may be able to find out if parts of the heart are too large or are overworked.
Q: What is the eligibility criteria for a degree in Cardiology?
A: The eligibility criteria are mentioned below:
- Candidates those who have M.D/D.N.B. in General Medicine or M.D/D.N.B. in Pediatrics or M.D/D.N.B. in Respiratory Medicine are eligible for this course.
- The applicants should have completed 10+2 with Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
- One year internship is compulsory for the candidates. Moreover, the internship should be completed before the admission date.
Q: What are the Top Career Profiles associated with Cardiology?
A: Some of the top career profiles are mentioned below:
- Cardiologist
- Assistant Cardiology Supervisor
- Cardiology Surgeon
Q: What is the duration of a course in Cardiology?
A: The duration of the course is 3 years.
Q: What are the important skills required in this field?
A: The important skills are mentioned below:
- Patience and politeness
- Ability to build a harmonious relationship with their patients
- Strong Ethics
- Service mentality
Q: Who are the top recruiters in this field of Cardiology?
A: Some of the top recruiters are mentioned below:
- KIMS Hospitals
- Max Cure Hospitals
- OLIVA Clinic
- Femiint Health
- PACE Hospitals
Q: What is the starting salary after a degree in Cardiology?
A: It depends on the organization for which the person is working and his/her designation. However, the average starting salary can be around 2 lakhs per annum.
Q: What is the admission process in Cardiology?
A: Admission in cardiology in most of the colleges is done on the basis of performance in the entrance examination. However, some institutes carry out their own entrance exams followed by personal interviews and counseling in some cases.