Cardiology is a subspecialty of internal medicine. A cardiologist is an internist who specializes in diseases of the heart and blood vessels and manages complex cardiac conditions, such as heart attacks and life-threatening, abnormal heart rhythms. Other conditions that cardiologists treat include heart failure, angina, and chest pain. One procedure a cardiologist performs is cardiac catheterization, which is performed to diagnose problems with the heart vessels. Heart blockages are being treated more and more with less invasive or non-surgical techniques. Cardiologists perform these procedures, including the placement of stents or balloon angioplasties, to open the coronary arteries. They may also place pacemakers or defibrillators to control heart rhythms.
Cardiology training after residency is usually three to four years of fellowship.