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Professional in Cardiology field!
Hello! My name is Ethan, and I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in cardiology field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! I have created a total of 13 questions. Comment on this post, answering all 13 questions to be apart of my assignment.
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
5. Were you in a college program?
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
11. What is the worst experience you had working as a cardiologist?
12. Is the pressure as a cardiologist a lot, or can you stay calm during operation?
13. Was all of the education in the end, worth it for being a cardiologist?
Please label which number question was answered.
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2 answers
Paige Fielder
Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist, Cardiovascular Technologist
2
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Paige’s Answer
1. Cardiovascular technology. I was born with a congenital heart defect. After my second open heart surgery I decided I wanted to go back to school. Initially I wanted to do nursing, but it is very competitive, is 4 years, and pretty expensive where I live.
2. 2.
3. Retail/food service.
4. This will require an MD, not Ph. D. Spend some time in the field, first. Make sure health care is right for you, and that you are willing to take on the debt, schooling, residency, fellowship, and demand. Additionally, as a cardiologist, instead of assisting in codes, you will be running them. I personally recommend working in the field and with cardiologists to get a glimpse into their lives.
5. Yes. Cardiovascular technology, the RCIS/invasive track.
6. Nope! This job really does not require additional education for growth, but it is available if you wish to pursue it.
7. I did 5 months of clinicals at several hospitals while in school where I went to the site and learned how to do the job. (For no pay, it was part of my education.)
8. I was a member of Lambda Nu, which is a imaging sciences honors program, but professionally I am a member of ACVP (alliance of cardiovascular professionals.)
9. The math and calculations! Lots to memorize for our exams, but in the field computers do it all for us. I love hemodynamics, but at first it's tricky. Also 12-lead EKGs, but once I realized it was pattern recognition it clicked.
10. Hmm. LOTS. So many, many pieces of equipment. Various healthcare software, compassion, remaining calm in stressful situations, prioritizing, time management.... oh my gosh so much.
11. I am not an MD. But my facility had several deaths during procedures and those are very hard, both professionally but also emotionally.
12. There is a constant underlying knowledge that things could go wrong, fast. But your training will help.
13. YES.
2. 2.
3. Retail/food service.
4. This will require an MD, not Ph. D. Spend some time in the field, first. Make sure health care is right for you, and that you are willing to take on the debt, schooling, residency, fellowship, and demand. Additionally, as a cardiologist, instead of assisting in codes, you will be running them. I personally recommend working in the field and with cardiologists to get a glimpse into their lives.
5. Yes. Cardiovascular technology, the RCIS/invasive track.
6. Nope! This job really does not require additional education for growth, but it is available if you wish to pursue it.
7. I did 5 months of clinicals at several hospitals while in school where I went to the site and learned how to do the job. (For no pay, it was part of my education.)
8. I was a member of Lambda Nu, which is a imaging sciences honors program, but professionally I am a member of ACVP (alliance of cardiovascular professionals.)
9. The math and calculations! Lots to memorize for our exams, but in the field computers do it all for us. I love hemodynamics, but at first it's tricky. Also 12-lead EKGs, but once I realized it was pattern recognition it clicked.
10. Hmm. LOTS. So many, many pieces of equipment. Various healthcare software, compassion, remaining calm in stressful situations, prioritizing, time management.... oh my gosh so much.
11. I am not an MD. But my facility had several deaths during procedures and those are very hard, both professionally but also emotionally.
12. There is a constant underlying knowledge that things could go wrong, fast. But your training will help.
13. YES.
Updated
Jonathan’s Answer
JONATHAN'S ANSWER
Hello Ethan! I will be answering the following questions to assist you on your following project on cardiology.
1: What profession did you choose? Why?
I chose cardiology because it is something I was always thinking about pursuing during my high school years. Cardiology does get hard at times, but with the high reward it comes with, everything is worth the risk.
2: How many years of college did you need to go through?
I had to complete 4 years of cardiovascular technology at USC to receive my Bachelor's degree. I then went on to medical school which took me another 4 years to finish. It was a very expensive process.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
I had no jobs before this, I was a full time student athlete in my high school years, and in my college years I was focused on my classes so I did not have any time to work at a job and instead I pursued my future to make money went I finished my years of schooling.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
It depends how far you want to go in the cardiology field. Earning a Ph.D will assist you in the long run and is better if you want to create a stable job for yourself. It could also increase your knowledge in the cardiology field.
5. Were you in a college program?
Yes, I was. I was in medical programs learning more than cardiology in the medical field.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
No. I completed all my years of schooling and training in a row so I wouldn't have to take steps backwards and delay the process of becoming a cardiologist.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Of course I did. I had a backup plan to pursue plastic surgery. This was in case cardiology did not work since I knew enough about the human skin to pursue this pathway.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
No, I didn't. I did not know what I wanted to pursue in my high school years until I was closer to graduating. I was too busy with sports for clubs and did not have the time and ability to manage.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
Not a particular subject I struggled with, more like time managing. Time management was a big factor that gave me lots of sleepless nights foll of homework. Cardiology was not a subject I struggled in while in college and my learning years.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
I learned how to communicate with patients and take leadership. Leadership in cardiology is a big factor due to the fact that as a cardiologist, you have to have the ability to make quick decisions. The ability to make decisions also help outside of working environment. This helps make better decisions outside of work as well.
11. What is the worst experience you had working as a cardiologist?
The worst experience I've had as a cardiologist is working under lots of pressure during operation. Working under pressure makes my hands unsteady, and clusters my brain and ruins my ability to think. Staying calm is a big factor during operation, because when you're panicking you tend to get anxious and working under anxiety is not a good feeling.
12. Is the pressure as a cardiologist a lot, or can you stay calm during operation?
The pressure is a lot yes, but the relief after operation is an even better feeling. After getting used to being in the operating room, I get used to the environment and am able to stay calm during operation to work. As I stated earlier, staying calm under pressure creates a big difference in your work being done.
13. Was all of the education in the end, worth it for being a cardiologist?
In the end, everything was worth it. The pressure, anxiety and pile of work payed off in the long run. I worked all the way up to a job I enjoyed and was able to balance having fun and working.
Hello Ethan! I will be answering the following questions to assist you on your following project on cardiology.
1: What profession did you choose? Why?
I chose cardiology because it is something I was always thinking about pursuing during my high school years. Cardiology does get hard at times, but with the high reward it comes with, everything is worth the risk.
2: How many years of college did you need to go through?
I had to complete 4 years of cardiovascular technology at USC to receive my Bachelor's degree. I then went on to medical school which took me another 4 years to finish. It was a very expensive process.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
I had no jobs before this, I was a full time student athlete in my high school years, and in my college years I was focused on my classes so I did not have any time to work at a job and instead I pursued my future to make money went I finished my years of schooling.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
It depends how far you want to go in the cardiology field. Earning a Ph.D will assist you in the long run and is better if you want to create a stable job for yourself. It could also increase your knowledge in the cardiology field.
5. Were you in a college program?
Yes, I was. I was in medical programs learning more than cardiology in the medical field.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
No. I completed all my years of schooling and training in a row so I wouldn't have to take steps backwards and delay the process of becoming a cardiologist.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Of course I did. I had a backup plan to pursue plastic surgery. This was in case cardiology did not work since I knew enough about the human skin to pursue this pathway.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
No, I didn't. I did not know what I wanted to pursue in my high school years until I was closer to graduating. I was too busy with sports for clubs and did not have the time and ability to manage.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
Not a particular subject I struggled with, more like time managing. Time management was a big factor that gave me lots of sleepless nights foll of homework. Cardiology was not a subject I struggled in while in college and my learning years.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
I learned how to communicate with patients and take leadership. Leadership in cardiology is a big factor due to the fact that as a cardiologist, you have to have the ability to make quick decisions. The ability to make decisions also help outside of working environment. This helps make better decisions outside of work as well.
11. What is the worst experience you had working as a cardiologist?
The worst experience I've had as a cardiologist is working under lots of pressure during operation. Working under pressure makes my hands unsteady, and clusters my brain and ruins my ability to think. Staying calm is a big factor during operation, because when you're panicking you tend to get anxious and working under anxiety is not a good feeling.
12. Is the pressure as a cardiologist a lot, or can you stay calm during operation?
The pressure is a lot yes, but the relief after operation is an even better feeling. After getting used to being in the operating room, I get used to the environment and am able to stay calm during operation to work. As I stated earlier, staying calm under pressure creates a big difference in your work being done.
13. Was all of the education in the end, worth it for being a cardiologist?
In the end, everything was worth it. The pressure, anxiety and pile of work payed off in the long run. I worked all the way up to a job I enjoyed and was able to balance having fun and working.