Cardiologist

A Cardiologist is a heart Doctor, but not the kind who prescribes love potions and cures the “just dumped.” Instead, Cardiologists are highly trained specialists who diagnose and cure diseases and defects found in a patient’s heart or veins.

Like any Doctor, Cardiologists work in a hospital or clinic, and see patients of all ages. You might choose to focus on one specific area of cardiology, like pediatrics or geriatrics (the young or the old). And if you do, you’ll handle diseases and issues specific to that group.

For each patient, you do a thorough exam, which includes listening to the heart, asking about issues like shortness of breath or pain, and maybe even ordering x-rays. You also note down the patient’s medical history, look for a pattern of heart problems or diseases within the family, and administer EKGs.

Most patients come to you by referrals from regular Doctors, so you often have an idea what to look for even before the exam starts. After your exam is done, you make a diagnosis. To treat the problem, you might call for open-heart surgery, a change in lifestyle, or the installation of a pacemaker.

Although you’re not a Surgeon, you work with patients after they’ve gone through open-heart surgery to get them back on track. You monitor vital signs, explain necessary lifestyle changes, and give periodic tests to ensure that the surgery accomplished what it needed to. You also keep detailed medical records, and track your patient’s progress to make sure they’re improving.