Can anyone clarify the difference between these heart related specialties?

[Ross434]

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Okay I'm having trouble understanding the difference between

IM (Cardiology-Invasive) IM (Cardiology-Noninvasive) IM (Cardiology-Interventional), and General Surgery (Cardiothoracic)

Am I right in assuming that right now in the long run, getting a fellowship and training in IM Interventional and Invasive cardiology are the most competetive out of the 4?? What is the difference in terms of procedures that are done, and also hours/pay.

 

[Apollyon]

OK, CT-surgery is one thing - that's over here.

On this side, there's cardiology - a fellowship that follows IM. The order is noninvasive-->invasive-->interventional.

Invasive does caths. Interventional does stents in caths (and roto-rooters, and angioplasties, etc.). Cards is 3 years, and invasive is 1-2 years, with interventional being 1-2 years, but for invasive and interventional, generally, they total 2-3 years (so it is 8-9 years after graduation from med school).

I asked a cardiologist while I was in med school why he just does invasive, and not interventional, and he said that, as invasive, he does all sorts of cardiology, and, if he did interventional, that's all he would do all day - caths with angio's, stents, ablations, and the sort.

Oh, that's right - EP (electrophysiology) follows interventional - but that's really cutting edge.

 

[PTCA]

So you mean EP has to follow interventional? I thought it was just a different fellowship after (general) cards!

 

[ckent]

I actually did some research after reading appolyn's post to correct my internal medicine faq (in the internal medicine forum) about ep. Here is what it reads on the american board of internal medicine site for electrophysiology:
"Training Pathway
Three years of cardiovascular disease fellowship training, including 24 months of clinical training, in programs accredited by the ACGME,
PLUS
one additional year of acceptable training in clinical cardiac electrophysiology completed July 1, 1992 or after
PLUS
commitment to clinical cardiac electrophysiology each year since completion of training involving at least 50% of professional time and effort. (This should include balanced experience in a variety of clinical settings, including but not limited to the electrophysiology laboratory as the primary operator or as an assistant closely involved with data collection and analysis, emergency room, and the follow-up clinic.)"

So my basic read of this is 4 years of fellowship training after 3 years of internal medicine. Correct me if I'm wrong.
http://www.abim.org/subspec/ccep.htm#Training

 

[Apollyon]

Sorry if that was wrong - that's what I was told, but I didn't research it.

Good one for the mod with his underwear on the outside!

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by ckent

So my basic read of this is 4 years of fellowship training after 3 years of internal medicine. Correct me if I'm wrong.
http://www.abim.org/subspec/ccep.htm#Training

You are correct, oh red caped one.