MedTalks: Examining the field of cardiology

Thump. Thump. Thump. A heart beats over 100,000 times per day and pumps about 1.5 gallons of blood every minute. This is what I witnessed when my mother was admitted to the hospital and the electrocardiogram displayed her heartbeat on the big screen.

A career in cardiology is an interesting field to study because it is academically and scientifically challenging. At the cutting-edge of technological advances that make significant differences in the lives of patients, cardiology is a field that allows physicians to develop life-long relationships with their patients.

As a medical specialty and a branch of internal medicine, cardiology is associated with disorders of the heart. Cardiologists are doctors who deal with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease and heart failure.

Clinical cardiology is in the top 5% of all healthcare careers because doctors can manage ill patients while observing the direct positive impact that a doctor’s decisions may have in real-time.

In an outpatient setting, many cardiologists follow up with their patients after their illness has been resolved. This special doctor-to-patient relationship is very rewarding and as a cardiologist, it is heartening to see that you have saved a person’s life.

Changing a patient’s health and well-being for the better is incredibly satisfying because a cardiologist can perform procedures during a surgery that can have instant positive results.

While the field of cardiology is gratifying and heartwarming, some areas of study, such as interventional cardiology, are male-dominated specialties with less than 5% being women.

According to the American Medical Association in 2020, women physicians are routinely paid less for the same amount of work and number of responsibilities. This inherent gender gap is significant for physicians to take into consideration when deciding their future specializations in the healthcare field.

As an aspiring female doctor myself, I find pursuing a male-dominated specialty in the healthcare field one challenge to overcome among many.

My aspiration is to advocate for women in the healthcare field and bring awareness to fact that anyone can be involved in the field of medicine, as long as one is passionate about their future career.

People with great passion can chase their dreams and change the word “impossible” to “I’m possible” no matter where they go.