1. Bachelor's Degree: A four-year undergraduate degree is required, typically in a pre-med track focusing on biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.
2. Medical School (MD or DO): After completing your undergraduate studies, you need to attend and graduate from medical school (either MD or DO). This is a four-year program.
3. Residency in Internal Medicine: Following medical school, you'll complete a three-year residency in Internal Medicine.
4. Cardiology Fellowship: After your internal medicine residency, you'll need to complete a three-year fellowship in cardiology. Some cardiologists may choose to further specialize with sub-speciality fellowships (e.g., interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, etc.) adding another 1-2 years to their training.
In short, becoming a cardiologist requires many years of post-secondary education and training, totaling approximately 13-15 years after high school.