Requirements to Become a Pediatric Cardiologist

The education and training to become a doctor in the United States is demanding as well as time-consuming. The process rarely takes less than 10 years following high school graduation. Length of training varies depending on what sort of doctor you wish to become. Surgeons must train the longest. General practitioners, family doctors and those who practice internal medicine generally train for the least amount of time. Most pediatric cardiologists complete medical school, a residency and at least one fellowship. This training teaches pediatric cardiologists to deal with the complex range of congenital heart disorders as well as those that may be acquired during growth.

Undergraduate Education

• As is standard for all doctors, students interested in pursuing a career in pediatric cardiology must attend an undergraduate institution to earn a four-year degree. Students may choose to earn their bachelor's degree in any area of interest. In addition, students who plan to attend medical school must take certain prerequisite courses. These typically include a year of general chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics and math (calculus and/or statistics). Majoring in a science-related field is more practical in terms of coursework, but medical schools accept qualified applicants with any variety of undergraduate degree.

Medical School

• Prior to the final year of college, students must take the MCAT, a test used by medical schools to help gauge student ability--much like the SAT or ACT are used when applying to college. Students apply to medical school their senior year of college and, if accepted, begin their education in medical school the following year. Medical school lasts four years and consists of classroom education as well as shadowing experiences. The shadowing experiences expose students to a variety of medical specialties in order to help them choose a field of interest, however, all students receive the same well-rounded education.

Post-Graduate Training

• All medical school graduates still planning on working as doctors must complete a residency, which is a three-year on-the-job training program that takes place in a hospital. During the residency, doctors will treat patients in many different fields as they are trained throughout the hospital. At the conclusion of a residency, doctors may choose to go into private practice or work as general practitioners. In order to specialize in a certain field, such as pediatric cardiology, it is necessary to then complete a fellowship. A fellowship is an additional three-year program of on-the-job training in a specific area of medicine. Doctors who wish to pursue surgery may complete slightly different training, with a shorter residency and longer fellowship to allow greater specialization. Someone pursuing a career as a pediatric cardiologist would complete a residency at a pediatric hospital followed by a fellowship in cardiology at a pediatric hospital. This is the time when pediatric cardiologists are separated from the rest of the medical community. They learn the details of diagnosing and treating heart-related illness in infants, children and young adults.

Certification

• Like all doctors in the U.S., pediatric cardiologists are required to pass the American Medical Association's Medical Boards test. Passing the test grants them certification to practice medicine within their specific field of training. Licensure is also issued by the state, so different certification is required to practice in multiple states. In this case, the required test would cover material necessary for treating infants and children with heart disorders.