As much as we might enjoy watching them, your favorite episodes of Nurses or The Night Shift won’t give you an honorary medical degree. It might, however, pique your interest in health care or, in particular, cardiovascular knowledge. Whether you’re hoping to improve your heart health or simply have a better understanding of your body and the way it functions, you’ll want to ensure you’re turning to reputable resources as you try to learn more about cardiology—and, cardiothoracic experience aside, Dr. Connor Rhodes doesn’t count as a DIY online course. Instead, you should turn to a combination of qualified medical professionals, first aid and personal health training, and your very own body to learn just what it is you’re working with.
1. Expert Health Care Providers
When it comes to learning about medicine, it should come as no surprise that professionals in the medical field are the best resource at your disposal. As you seek to expand your knowledge, you should be turning to these experts, whether that’s in person or through another resource. For example, someone in Los Angeles County might turn to a local expert in Beverly Hills internal medicine, working to learn more about internal medicine and all that comes with it, including cardiology. During your appointment at this Beverly Hills private practice, you might ask about cardiovascular health either generally or in terms of your own well-being. Or, you might simply ask for recommended resources to help you learn more. In any case, chatting with an internist in person or reading through reputable resources such as medical journals can help to give you the foundational knowledge you need to begin understanding cardiology.
2. Personal and Professional Development
With a qualified expert guiding your research, you might be feeling a bit more competent when it comes to taking action where your own cardiovascular health is concerned. There are plenty of ways you can work on your own wellness, of course, whether it’s eating more nutritious meals or adding to your exercise routine. Perhaps the best way of learning and applying your newfound knowledge, though, is through formal classes and certifications. This doesn’t have to be med school. For instance, you might look into an online CPR certification program, letting you learn at your own pace while enhancing your knowledge of first aid and the medical field. Best of all, though, you’ll find that your efforts aren’t only beneficial for the sake of building your own understanding. This can help you be a more qualified candidate for many job opportunities and feel like a person who contributes to society at large. Most importantly, though, it can absolutely give you the power to save a life.
3. Your Own Systems
At this point, you’ve presumably sought out expert instructors and gained a certification or two of your own to build a strong knowledge base. What could be a more appropriate next step than looking inward at your own cardiovascular system? Of course, you don’t need to start performing daily ECGs to understand your heart and its systems. You might start by monitoring your heart rate or blood pressure, beginning to see how your body puts the facts you’ve learned into action. If you notice any irregularities or already know you have a certain heart condition, you can take steps toward not just understanding your heart health but preventing cardiovascular crisis.
A first aid certification, training course, or home blood pressure cuff won’t transform your heart health overnight, but they can give you the knowledge you need to make changes that can—or encourage you to keep up the good work if you’ve been making heart-healthy efforts already.
