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Cardiologist A cardiologist is a specialist who treats the heart and heart-re- TABLE6.1 COMMON SPECIALTIES lated problems. Cardiologists first complete a 3-year internal medicine residency and then a 3-year cardiology fellowship. Cardio: heart 1 s o | g D . ki During the fellowship training, they learn to manage vari- erm: skin ous heart-related issues, including coronary artery disease, ~ £ndo: glands heart failure, or irregular heart rates known as arrhythmias. ~ Gastro: stomach/digestive tract Some may choose to get additional training and subspecial- ~ Neuro: brain and nerves ize further by doing a second subspecialty fellowship foran Opthalmo: eyes additional 2 years. The subspecialty training is offered in pymo; jungs cardiac catheterizations, heart failure, and heart arrhythmias. Based on their training, cardiologists can treat patients either Path: disease noninvasively or invasively. Noninvasive cardiologists will focus on the medical management of cardiovascular disease, prescribing medications to help reduce heart-related problems. Invasive cardiologists will be proficient in procedures to treat heart disease. These procedures include cardiac catheterizations and pacemaker implantation. The cardiac cather- ization is a procedure that involves injecting dye in the arteries and evaluating the flow pattern of the arteries (coronary) that provide blood to the heart. Once the blockages have been identified the cardiologist can use a balloon to place a metal stent to restore flow to the various vessels of the heart. Pulmonologist Pulmonologists are specialists who treat lung and breathing-related issues. They will complete a 3-year internal medicine residency and then a 2-year pulmonary fellow- ship. During the fellowship years, they learn to manage respiratory-related conditions. Common lung conditions include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and infections of the lungs. Pulmonologists will also perform and interpret pulmonary function tests to better understand the capacity and function of the lungs as well as prescribe medications and inhalers to improve breathing. Pulmonologists will also perform bronchoscopies. A bronchoscopy involves inserting a flexible tube and camera into the trachea (windpipe) and viewing the bronchus and proximal lung tissues. During this procedure, a tissue sample, or biopsy, may be done to investigate a mass in this area. Nephrologists Nephrologists are specialists who treat diseases related to the kidneys. They complete a 3-year internal medicine residency and then complete a 2- to 3-year nephrology