Image: National Geographic
Cardiology
If I were a scientist, I would choose to be a cardiologist. My main two reasons are that my dog passed away almost two years ago of congestive heart failure and before he died,my family had to bring him to a canine cardiologist. She allowed me to go behind the scenes and took time to explain to me what exactly was going on with my dog. Also, I find cardiology to be a very interesting subject because I like learning about how the heart works.
This subject meets my goals, because I want to do something in a field with animals in order to help them maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible, since that is what is most interesting to me. If I were to go into cardiology, I would like to enter a more specified branch of cardiology such as canine cardiology or equine cardiology. I would also like to be able to help with veterinary care at places such as the local dog shelter, because I love volunteering there. I discovered first-hand that I am able to handle the sight and smell of blood when I shadowed my vet. He was performing surgery on a dog and the entire room and everyone in it got splattered with blood when part of a machine broke.
Cardiology is the branch of medicine devoted to the study and care of the heart and circulatory system. The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients, gases, hormones, blood cells, etc. to and from cells in the body to help fight diseases and help stabilize body temperature. The main job of a cardiologist is to provide patients with care to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases of the heart and of the circulatory system. Some common heart problems include Coronary Heart Disease, Arrhythmia, Congenital Heart Disease, and Congestive Heart Failure. Common tests and treatments are an Electrocardiogram, a Nuclear Heart Scan, Cardiac Rehabilitation, or a Cardiac Catheterization. To become a cardiologist, one must have a graduate degree and complete a Doctor of Medicine program of four years from a recognized college or university. Next, a three years residency program in internal medicine and also a two year cardiology fellowship are needed. It is also necessary to obtain a state license and be certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. However to reach my ultimate goal of becoming a canine cardiologist, I would need an additional degree in Veterinary Medicine. While a cardiologist treats the present-day situations, they also participate in the researching and finding of new cures and medicines for heart problems.
