Studying cardiology in the USA will make you a medical specialist in taking care of the disorders of the heart. You will have the knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat many heart-related health concerns such as congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and heart disease. The United States is one of the countries that offer the best education in medicine as well as various specializations including cardiology. As a result, it is one of the go-to destinations for aspiring cardiologists.
Studying cardiology in the USA will teach you the fundamentals and details of the cardiovascular system. However, because of the high competition in studying cardiology in the USA, you need to have the right qualifications and grades to be able to study medicine in the USA and specialize in cardiology.
This piece will guide you through the steps and requirements to take in studying cardiology in the USA.
Requirements to Study Cardiology in the USA
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Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree
Universities in the USA do not accept applicants without a bachelor’s degree into medical school. It is compulsory that you pursue a four-year undergraduate degree before applying to medical school. This is usually known as pre-medical school. Furthermore, the bachelor’s degree should be a science-related discipline. It should be either a health science or a life science degree. Additionally, your bachelor’s degree should include courses in areas such as Biochemistry, Biology, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Laboratory practicals.
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Transfer Students
Medical schools in the USA do not accept transfer students at any level.
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Write MCAT
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is compulsory for all applicants. You can take these tests multiple times in a year. However, it is advised that you take the test during the spring rather than the summer. This is to allow you to retake the test before the admissions deadline if you did not perform well. Furthermore, this test is valid for only three years. If you are not able to gain admission within three years, you need to take another test.
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Apply through AMCAS
All applicants must complete their application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The application site opens in May and ends in October. Therefore, you need to submit your applications early. After that, AMCAS will forward your application to the medical school of your choice.
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Secondary Applications
After AMCAS forwards your application to the medical school, you will receive an invitation through email to make a secondary application. Secondly, the University will notify you to make a secondary application three weeks after they have received your application from AMCAS. However, if your application is not considered, you will receive a notification email and you will not be able to submit the secondary application. Therefore, you should add the university’s domain to your email list and monitor your emails regularly.
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Application Fee
Applicants must submit an application fee. Without this fee, you will not be able to submit your application. The application fee for US citizens is $80. The application fee for an international student is $100. However, you can apply for the AMCAS fee waiver. This will enable you to submit your application without a fee.
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Letters of Recommendation
You need to submit between three to five recommendation letters. You will submit these letters using the AMCAS. These recommendation letters will talk about your academic status as well as your potential. However, these letters will not be considered till you get to the secondary application.
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Statement of Authenticity
You need to write a statement of authenticity during your secondary application. This information is to verify the authenticity of all the documents you submitted. Additionally, you can also do this orally.
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Interview Stage
The next phase in the application process is the interview stage. This interview will be held virtually or physically depending on your location.
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Interview Decision
After the interview, you will get the outcome regarding your application. You can get emails such as acceptance, alternate list, or rejection.
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Apply for a Residency Program
During the last year of medical school, you will complete an audition rotation in a cardiology residency program. After that, you will participate in an interview which will enable you to undergo a match process to figure out where they will complete residency. Generally, you must complete a residency program to enable you to be qualified for a cardiology fellowship.
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Complete a Fellowship Program
After your residency, you need to complete a fellowship program in cardiology. This program will enable you to receive specialized training on how to diagnose and treat cardiac diseases.
How to Apply
Firstly, you must submit your applications to apply for medical school first through the AMCAS. Additionally, you can continue your secondary application through the university’s portal. Consequently, after you complete medical school, you can apply for the residency and fellowship program based on your school’s instruction.
Duration
Studying cardiology in the USA lasts for about ten years. This most likely will include 4 years of pre-medical study, 4 years of medical school, a 3-year internal medicine residency, and a 3-4 year cardiology fellowship. Additionally, each subspecialty of cardiology will require a distinct amount of fellowship years to be completed.
Tuition Fee
The tuition fee for studying cardiology in the USA ranges from $150,444 to $247,664. Additionally, students can apply for financial aid. This will help to reduce the high cost of fees for students. Some Universities offer financial aid to students. You can verify this by checking the school’s website.
Universities in the USA that offer Cardiology
- Harvard University, Massachusetts
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Minnesota
- Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
- University of California – San Francisco, California
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Stanford University, California
- University of Washington – Seattle, Washington
- University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
- Columbia University, New York State
- University of California – Los Angeles, California
- University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- University of California-San Diego, California
- Emory University, Georgia
- Cornell University, New York State
- Boston University, Massachusetts
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Texas
- University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minnesota
- Yale University, Connecticut
- Northwestern University, Illinois
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York State
- Washington University in St Louis, Missouri
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Utah, Utah
- Duke University, North Carolina
- University of Southern California, California
- Case Western Reserve University, Ohio
- Indiana University – Purdue University – Indianapolis, Indiana
- University of Miami, Florida
- University of Florida, Florida
- Wake Forest University, North Carolina
- University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado
- University of Chicago, Illinois
- University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
- New York University, New York State
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin
- Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina
- University of Iowa, Iowa State
- Ohio State University, Ohio
- University of Virginia, Virginia
In Conclusion, studying cardiology in the USA is highly competitive. You need to ensure that you have all these requirements. Additionally, you should always verify from the school’s website before you make an application. You can reach out to us for further inquiries or assistance.
Good luck!
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