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WHAT THE BLEEP?
This popular speciality is high profile, exciting and demanding. For those who like to do something instantly to help the patient then it is hard to beat cardiology. A speciality that is constantly evolving, resulting in new imaging modalities and therapies.
PERSONALITY
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Hardworking.
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Calm in emergencies.
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High energy levels.
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Active in keeping up to date and implementing new treatments.
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Manual dexterity for practical procedures.
AVERAGE WEEK
On average a cardiologist will be splitting their time between inpatient and outpatient clinics, with time also spent in the catheter lab and on the ward. They will also have regular clinical audits, meetings, and teaching duties.
BEST BITS
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The expert medical skill in managing conditions such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure is as rewarding as the surgical skill in the coronary or electrophysiological interventions.
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Such varied work splitting your time between the ward, the coronary care unit, the catheter lab and clinics.
CHALLENGES
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Keeping up to date with new developments can be challenging, but ultimately rewarding.
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Does have a long and arduous training, and can be quite stressful at times.
WHAT THE FACT?
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London was the home to the first ECG inventions. First by Alexander Muirhead at St Bartholomew's Hospital where he attached wires to a patient's wrist to record the patient's heart beat, followed by Augustus Waller at St Mary's Hospital where he attached surface electrodes and the trace would project onto a toy train to show the trace in real time.
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While the average resting heart rate is 80bpm. Mo Farah has a resting heart rate of 33bpm.
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The first heart transplant in the UK took place on May 3 1968 at the National Heart Hospital in Marylebone, London. By December 2007, 5,328 heart transplants had been carried out in the UK.
OVERVIEW
Salary 5
Competitive 5
Variety in Work 5
Work Life Balance 2
FURTHER INFO
British Cardiovascular Society
NHS Medical Careers
Royal College of Physicians
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