Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Cardiologist
What cardiologists actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a cardiologist?
Round on hospital patients. From there, the day usually includes evaluate heart symptoms, read EKGs and imaging, and manage heart failure and hypertension. Hours are long, with call for emergencies such as heart attacks.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a cardiologist working full time.
- Round on hospital patients.
- Read echocardiograms.
- Perform a cardiac catheterization.
- Place a stent in a blocked artery.
- See clinic patients with heart failure.
- Review stress test results.
- Take call for heart attack alerts.
Where cardiologists work
Cardiologists work in hospitals, catheterization labs and outpatient clinics.
Hours and schedule
Hours are long, with call for emergencies such as heart attacks.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Evaluate heart symptoms
- Read EKGs and imaging
- Manage heart failure and hypertension
- Treat arrhythmias
- Perform catheterizations and stents
- Prescribe heart medications
- Counsel patients on prevention
Tools you’ll use every day
- EKG machines
- Echocardiography
- Catheterization lab equipment
- Stress test systems
- Holter monitors
- Electronic health records
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Among the highest-paid jobs
- Life-saving procedures
- Growing demand with an aging population
- Many subspecialties
What’s hard
- Very long training
- Emergency call
- High stress
- Radiation exposure in cath labs
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I’m fascinated by the heart
- I want to do life-saving procedures
- I handle emergencies well
- I can commit to long training
- I want top earnings
- I like data and imaging
Not sure? Take the free Cardiologist fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Use radiation protection in cath labs
- Follow sterile technique
- Verify anticoagulation safely
- Follow time-out procedures