What Type of Cardiologist Should You See for Specialized Care?

Although many physicians manage CV risk factors very well, there may come a point when you would benefit from seeing a heart specialist.

Published: July 2, 2019

After medical school, cardiac surgeons traditionally complete a five-year residency in general surgery, followed by two to three years of cardiothoracic (heart and lung) surgery fellowship. Some programs now offer four years of general surgery plus three years of cardiothoracic surgery. Other programs combine general and cardiac surgery into a single six-year program. The subspecialty of heart transplantation requires one additional year oftraining.