general cardiology

[anxietypeaker]

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hey all,

I was wondering about a something.

TYPICALLY, if someone is a cardiologist (only 3 year cards fellowship) are they PROBABLY doing angiograms also? I'm talking generalities here (i know the 3 subcategories of cards). Or is it pretty much half do dx angios and half dont.

Thanks.

 

[Tius]

depends on the work model you're in. i think now these days, in private practice, if you're a general cardiologist, most don't do diagnostic angio's anymore. With cutting of reimbursement, and most practices having some interventional guys in there, unless you're in some area where you're 1 of 2 cardiologists, i think most guys will defer to let the interventional guy just cath, and if needed be, intervene while he's in there.

even in most academic institutions, most of the diagnostic caths are done by interventional guys. There's actually only 2 guys here who are noninterventional at my institution who do diagnostic. really they do it cause their colleagues out of respect just let them do it (they're really senior guys who weren't trained to do pci's back in the day).

 

[bronx43]

depends on the work model you're in. i think now these days, in private practice, if you're a general cardiologist, most don't do diagnostic angio's anymore. With cutting of reimbursement, and most practices having some interventional guys in there, unless you're in some area where you're 1 of 2 cardiologists, i think most guys will defer to let the interventional guy just cath, and if needed be, intervene while he's in there.

even in most academic institutions, most of the diagnostic caths are done by interventional guys. There's actually only 2 guys here who are noninterventional at my institution who do diagnostic. really they do it cause their colleagues out of respect just let them do it (they're really senior guys who weren't trained to do pci's back in the day).

Do you know anything about the job market for general cards vs interventional cards? Thanks.

 

[gutonc]

Do you know anything about the job market for general cards vs interventional cards? Thanks.

There will always be a need for cath jockeys and med jockeys. They may be the same person (in smaller groups/markets) or two different people. But having interventional training will always make you more marketable, no matter what you wind up doing.

 

[Tius]

can't completely be accurate with the job market. However, from what I know, it seems that the average income of interventional is still higher than diagnostics, but diagnostics is becoming in more demand now, I think people are realizing I can read more echos and nucs in the same time it takes to perform a cath + pci. I think the potential will still always side with interventional, but with the impending cuts, interventional may become more difficult to make the money the golden ages harped about.

As far as demand, i think the demand is still there for both. Despite there being quite a few spots for interventional fellows, there's still a shortage in most areas per person in that town, at least from the previous fellows I know who recently were looking for jobs. Diagnostics is supposed to be on the rise again as far as demand.