Cardiologists

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the total employment of all physicians and surgeons is expected to grow by 3 percent, about as fast as the average for all occupations, through 2032.

The influence of managed care, new research and development of cardiac drugs, and the Affordable Care Act continues to be felt in the field of cardiology. The usual inpatient time for someone who has suffered a heart attack has been greatly reduced. Years ago it was common for heart attack patients to remain in the hospital for a month. However, inpatient hospital time has been steadily decreasing. Today it is not uncommon for a patient to stay in the hospital only five days, and sometimes just two. Another effect of managed care is that before its introduction, it was not unusual for a patient with chest pain to automatically have an angiogram. Angiograms are very expensive, however, and doctors do not prescribe them as quickly as before.

The field of cardiology has also grown due to constant research and development. With the influx of new information and cardiac drugs, treatment processes are continually evolving. In particular, the development and more frequent use of thrombolytic medicines, also called clot busters, which are used to dissolve blood clots at the onset of a patient complaining of heart attack symptoms, is also expected to contribute to growth of the cardiology field.

The enacted federal health care reform law has given more people access to affordable health care, which means more people will seek the services of physicians and specialists such as cardiologists. In addition, due to the aging population, cardiologists will continue to be in demand.