Cardiology and me

With my interest and experience in some specialised areas of medicine, and my degree in Physiology, I was at a bit of a loose end a few years ago so I decided to “put something back into society” by working at our local general hospital.

I was accepted as a student Cardiology Clinical Scientific Officer (CCSO) and joined the Cardiology department to learn everything about the heart from a clinical point of view.

I thought I knew a lot about heart physiology and anatomy before joining the department, however my degree was 20 years old and there had been an amazing development in diagnostic techniques and technology during those intervening years.

For example when I was at University I remember being shown cardiac catheterisation in the top hospital in the region. It was a new technique then and very few hospitals in the UK had the technology and knowledge to perform such studies. Now, of course, “cath” studies are common place and as a fledgling CCSO, I was assigned this area of diagnosis as my specialist area, given my background in technology.

I actually ended up working at the hospital for seven months. For a variety of reasons, I realised that it wasn’t for me and that I should “put something back into my business” again, however I learnt a huge amount about clinical cardiology and saw many patients with heart problems and many who thought they had heart problems.

Given the nature of FurtherHealth.com and the importance we all place on the health of our hearts - though the abuse we subject that vital organ to is staggering - I intend to blog about some of my experiences and knowledge that I gained during those topsy turvy months at the hospital.

I hope you find them interesting!

Add comment June 13th, 2006 Written By: chris