If you have a health problem for which you are seeking medical treatment, you will want to make sure the doctor is competent. While this is true for any physician, it is especially the case if you are talking about cardiologists. If you are seeing a cardiologist, you really want to be assured that the doctor knows what he or she is doing. So, the question is, how does the average person gain assurance of a doctor’s competency? The answer lies in checking to see if that doctor is board-certified.
There are 24 medical specialties in which a doctor can be certified. While each of them has its own specialty board, the American Board of Medical Specialties is the umbrella organization for all 24 of these boards. Patients can check their website to see if our cardiologists are listed. The extensive qualifications a doctor must meet to become and remain certified should make you feel confident that our cardiologists are well-trained, knowledgeable and up to date on the latest medical developments.
The first step in becoming board-certified is for the doctor to spend several years in supervised training. This is additional training after the completion of medical school. After that, the doctor must pass a comprehensive written exam that is sometimes followed up with an oral exam. While these exams are designed to test one’s medical knowledge, they are more extensive than that. They are also designed to test the doctor’s clinical judgment. That way, you will know that our cardiologists not only have knowledge, but are also able to apply it in real-world situations as well.
Once the doctor achieves the initial certification by the board, he or she must maintain that certification by meeting all the recertification criteria. To begin with, the physician must keep his or her license in good standing with the licensing boards of the state in which he or she practices. The doctor must also demonstrate that his or her skills have remained current by periodically passing an exam similar to the one taken to meet the initial certification requirements.
There are some self-evaluation requirements the doctor must meet to keep the certification going as well. There must be occasional surveys taken of peers as well as patients. The surveys are primarily for the purpose of assessing the communication skills and professionalism displayed when interacting with patients and other doctors.
Our board-certified cardiologists must also demonstrate a lifelong commitment to learning, especially as it pertains to keeping abreast of new developments in the cardiology field. If you are in need of a cardiologist, you should definitely consider finding one who is board-certified. After all, you are going to a cardiologist to benefit from the specialized knowledge he or she possesses. You deserve the best care you can get.
At Cardiology Consultants of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, our board-certified cardiologists are here for you. You can trust that you are getting the best care possible at our office. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to learn more.
