What is Cardiology?
Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system.
The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and electrophysiology.
How Long Does It Take To study Cardiology In South Africa?
It takes 16 years to become a cardiologist in South Africa.
Schools That Offer Cardiology Courses In South Africa
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.
The University of Cape Town.
The University of the Free State. Premier.
How To Become a Cardiologist In South Africa?
Below are steps to Become A Cardiologist in South Africa
Step 1: Get a Bachelor’s Degree
Prospective cardiologists need to undertake a bachelor’s degree in a science or health-related field.
This usually takes four years to complete but it will start paving the way for your career. Complete premedical courses like chemistry, physics, and biology, and prepare to study hard.
Step 2: Get into Medical School
Once you’ve graduated from university, it’s time for four more years of education, this time at medical school.
After more classes (e.g. pathology and pharmacology), exams and lectures, you will be transitioned to a hospital where you can apply the skills you’ve built so far.
Step 3: Obtain a Medical License
It’s then time to earn a medical license. In order to practice medicine, you will need to obtain this license by taking exams. This will demonstrate your knowledge and skills and determine whether you are ready for your future career.
Step 4: Complete a Residency Program
As a postgraduate, your next three years will involve training with a residency in internal medicine.
Before specializing in the heart, you will need to complete several clinical rotations in different internal medicine specialties, like, like oncology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, and more.
Step 5: Complete a Cardiology Fellowship
Last but not least, you must complete a cardiology fellowship, which lasts for another three years. Here you will learn to manage a wide range of cardiac conditions, learn to perform procedures, and conduct clinical research.
Below are institutions that offered Cardiology in South Africa
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.
The University of Cape Town.
The University of the Free State. Premier.
What does a cardiologist earn in South Africa?
R184,265 (ZAR)/yr.
Is studying as a cardiologist hard?
Cardiology is a medical discipline that deals with the study of all things related to the heart.
While medical science itself is a highly competitive and challenging discipline, cardiology is, with the possible exception of neurology, the most difficult sub-discipline that comes to mind.
Is cardiology a good career?
A career as a Cardiologist is rewarding not only position-wise but also financially. Due to the increase in heart patients, a number of super-specialty heart care centers opens and this will broaden the scope for cardiologists.
A cardiologist can work as a doctor in the hospital and can also become a lecturer in medical colleges.
What are the disadvantages of being a cardiologist?
There are drawbacks to working as a cardiologist, however. These include a significant investment in time and money for education and training.
In addition, cardiologists have a high-stress job, with long hours at work and on-call. The risk of malpractice is high.