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Cardiology

Cardiology has always been one of the most popular and competitive medical specialities. This reflects its diversity with cardiologists managing everything from a hyperacute presentation of cardiogenic shock to chronic disease management of e.g. heart failure; from primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease to supporting patients with congenital heart disease to achieve a successful pregnancy. The range of options for investigating and treating cardiovascular disease grows ever wider including advanced imaging techniques, cardiac devices, medical, percutaneous and surgical modalities. Cardiology remains a highly evidence-based speciality.

From August 2022 with the implementation of the new higher training curriculum Cardiology will only be offered as a dual certification speciality with General (internal) Medicine throughout the UK.

Training in Wales

Wales is well placed to offer Cardiology training according to the new curriculum. We have thirty-six in-programme training posts across Wales, and several out of programme fellowship posts. Our training sites include two tertiary centres (University Hospital of Wales and Morriston Cardiac Centre) with on-site cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology and electrophysiology (EP) labs. Both have well developed Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) programmes and are developing programmes for the percutaneous management of other valvular heart disease. Many of our district general hospitals have on site diagnostic cardiac catheterisation labs and brady pacing, with several now also offering complex device insertion. Advanced imaging modalities such as transoesophageal and stress echo, cardiac CT and cardiac MR are available in our tertiary centres and many of our District General Hospitals (DGHs).

Our training sites include:

The programme is arranged to offer training in Cardiology and GIM during the first two training years. This will usually be provided in a DGH, with trainees usually rotating to a tertiary centre for their third training year. The location for training during the final two years in one of the five Cardiology Advanced Themes may vary depending on which theme is being followed, but in most cases will be in a tertiary centre.

Our aim is to produce high quality, well rounded consultant Cardiologists who have the skills, attributes and experience to be competitive at appointments worldwide, but choose to remain in Wales for their consultant posts because of their experience of Wales and of their training programme. Our success rate in achieving this is high.