Licensure and Certification
In order for any physician to practice here in the United States they must be licensed. This especially applies to cardiologists. All physicians must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) in order to be certified, but to be eligible to take the USMLE, the candidates should have a degree from an accredited medical school. To become certified in a subspecialty like an interventional cardiologist , transplant cardiologist, electro physiologist, pediatric cardiologist, or a cardiovascular surgeon you would first have to become certified in internal medicine. This is done by meeting the educational, clinical and licensing requirements. As well as passing a written exam. The exam takes approximately 2 days. A certification is required in cardiology along with the subspecialty. As a result you would end up with two certifications and a license.