Heart disease statistics speak to the urgency of filling all cardiology jobs with the best physicians in the shortest time possible.   According to the American Heart Association’s (AHA) “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2006 Update,” cardiovascular disease accounted for 37.3% of all deaths in 2003 and was an underlying or contributing cause of death for about 58% of all deaths that year.

Cardiologists provide health care to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and conditions of the heart and cardiovascular system, including the arteries. Because the field of cardiology encompasses so many different types of diseases and procedures, there are many different types of cardiology one may choose to practice depending on his or her interests and skill sets, and the type of work they’d like to do.

In his 2004 AHA article “Cardiology’s Workforce Shortage” former president of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. W. Bruce Fye, said that the “cardiovascular disease burden in the United States is great and growing…demographers warn that we are confronting an expanding population of older Americans that will require much more cardiovascular care.”

As baby boomers age, the statistics on cardiovascular disease and related deaths could get worse before medical science and the trend toward healthier lifestyles catch up. The 2000 U.S. Census indicated the age-60-plus population will have quadrupled by 2010. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the population 75 age years and older will exceed the population 65 to 74 years old by 2040. According to the CDC report Health, United States, 2004, about 12%, or 1 in 8 Americans, will be age 75 or older by the year 2050.

Despite the growing need for cardiologists, data from the American Medical Association indicates that approximately 26,535 members list cardiology as their primary specialty, with only 21,557 of these members in office- or hospital-based practice. On average approximately 705 new cardiologists transitioned into cardiology jobs annually between 2000-2006.

To begin your physician job search for your next cardiology job, click here to register at eMatchPhysicians.com.