types of cardiology

[MD Rapper]

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[heartdoc]

hey everyone... i don't mean to take up too much time from anyone but I had a question based off of statistics I've seen published every so often. I'm just a graduate student so I'm not looking to enter a residency or fellowship yet... I'm just curious.

What is the difference between:
- invasive cardiology
- non-invasive cardiology
- interventional cardiology

Invasive cardiology -- performing diagnostic cardiac catheterizations (a catheter is placed in the femoral artery and guided through the aorta into the coronary arteries; contrast dye is injected and pictures are taken to look for stenosis (vessel blockage from atherosclerosis)). This is diagnostic only.

Non-invasive cardiology -- no invasive procedures performed

Interventional cardiology -- like invasive cardiology but once inside the coronary vessels, the cardiologist also fixes the lesions/stenosis using a variety of techniques such as balloon angioplasty, etc. (i.e. diagnostic and therapeutic). This requires an additional 1-2 year fellowship after the general cardiology fellowship.

Let me know if that makes sense.

 

[MD Dreams]

Could you please comment on how difficult it is to get
1) A cardiology fellowship
2) Interventional cardiology fellowship

Thank you

 

[heartdoc]

Could you please comment on how difficult it is to get
1) A cardiology fellowship
2) Interventional cardiology fellowship

Thank you

I think the hard part is getting the general cardiology fellowship since cards and gi are the most competitive IM fellowships. Once you get the general cards fellowship, I think most people who want to do interventional can do it (usually at the same institution that they do the general cards fellowship).

 

[Steiner83]

Assume one gets the fellowship outside of the USA, how "easy" is it to get a good position after that within the states?