How to Become A Cardiologist South Africa

A cardiologist is a doctor who specializes in treating diseases of the cardiovascular system mainly the heart and blood vessels.

Below are steps to Become A Cardiologist South Africa

Step 1: Get a Bachelor’s Degree

Prospective cardiologists need to undertake a bachelor’s degree in a science or health-related field.

This usually takes four years to complete but it will start paving the way towards your career. Complete premedical courses like chemistry, physics and biology, and prepare to study hard.

Step 2: Get into Medical School

Once you’ve graduated from university, it’s time for four more years of education, this time at medical school.

After more classes (e.g. pathology and pharmacology), exams and lectures, you will be transitioned to a hospital where you can apply the skills you’ve built so far.

Step 3: Obtain a Medical License

It’s then time to earn a medical license. In order to practice medicine, you will need to obtain this license by taking exams. This will demonstrate your knowledge and skills and determine whether you are ready for your future career.

Step 4: Complete a Residency Program

As a postgraduate, your next three years will involve training with a residency in internal medicine.

Before specializing in the heart, you will need to complete several clinical rotations in different internal medicine specialties, like, oncology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology and more.

Step 5: Complete a Cardiology Fellowship

Last but not least, you must complete a cardiology fellowship, which lasts for another three years. Here you will learn to manage a wide range of cardiac conditions, learn to perform procedures and conduct clinical research.

Below are institutions that offered Cardiology in South Africa

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

University of Cape Town.

University of the Free State. Premier.

How long does it take to become a cardiologist in SA?

16 years

It takes 16 years to become a cardiologist in South Africa. South Africa currently has about 175 active, registered cardiologists practising in the country, of which only about 35 are in public service or working in training centres.

How many years does it take to become a cardiologist inSouth Africa?

In order to become a cardiologist, one must undergo four years of medical school as well as three years of internal medicine training. Finally, one must complete three more years of what is called specialized training.

What does a cardiologist earn in South Africa?

R184,265 (ZAR)/yr.

Is studying cardiologist hard?

Cardiology is a medical discipline that deals with the study of all things related to the heart.

While medical science itself is a highly competitive and challenging discipline, cardiology is, with the possible exception of neurology, the most difficult sub-discipline that comes to mind.

Is cardiology a good career?

Career as a Cardiologist is rewarding not only position-wise but also financially. Due to increase in heart patients, number of super specialty heart care centres opens and this will broaden the scope for cardiologists.

A cardiologist can work as a doctor in hospital and can also become a lecturer in medical colleges.

What are the disadvantages of being a cardiologist?

There are drawbacks to working as a cardiologist, however. These include a significant investment in time and money for education and training.

In addition, cardiologists have a high-stress job, with long hours at work and on call. The risk of malpractice is high.

What is the monthly income of a cardiologist?

After gaining the intermediate experience in the industry, he or she earns a monthly package of Rs. two lakh. The top-level salary of a cardiologist with a specialization is somewhere around Rs. eight lakh per month.

Do cardiologists work a lot?

Overall, cardiologists work long hours, with 40% of doctors spending more than 50 hours per week seeing patients and 11% spending more than 65 hours per week with patients.

One in five doctors spend 30 to 40 hours per week seeing patients, and 11% spend less than 30 hours weekly with patients.