Job Description

• Cardiac surgical doctors examine patients for symptoms of heart disease, overseeing heart function tests and evaluating results. Surgical procedures performed by cardiac surgeons include heart bypasses, replacement of heart valves, repair of congenital deformities and heart transplants. These doctors may also implant pacemakers, prescribe medications and recommend dietary and exercise changes, particularly in patients who have already had surgery.
  
  

Education

• Preparation to become a heart surgeon begins in high school with college preparatory classes focusing on science. The minimum requirement for admission to medical school is three years of college, although most candidates earn a bachelor's degree. Acceptance at medical school is very competitive. Medical school consists of two years in classrooms and laboratories and the remaining years working with patients under a doctor's supervision. Medical school is followed by a residency in general surgery, which typically lasts five years, followed by a two- or three-year fellowship in cardiac surgery.
  
  

Licensure and Certification

• After graduating from an accredited medical school, all surgeons in the U.S. must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination. The American Board of Surgery offers certification in general surgery and other types of surgery. Certification is an indication that a surgeon has met definite standards of training and education. The American College of Cardiology offers the professional designation of Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, which is an additional designation of achievement in the field of cardiac medicine.
  
  

Subspecialties

• Subspecialties of cardiac surgery require additional fellowship training. Pediatric cardiac surgeons treat heart conditions in children, many of which are congenital. Heart surgery is sometimes required in infancy or early childhood, and occasionally heart surgery is performed on a fetus in utero. Cardiothoracic surgeons treat problems with the lungs in addition to problems with the heart.
  
  

Considerations

• Cardiac surgeons typically work in hospitals, medical centers or group practices. Some open their own medical practices where they perform routine check-ups, evaluations and follow-ups in addition to surgery. Heart surgeons often work long hours and have a lot of on-call requirements. Sometimes patients need emergency surgery, which may require several hours. Although cardiac surgery can be a highly stressful career, it can also be rewarding.