American College of Cardiology

FACC—A Mark of Professional Excellence

We’re all used to seeing MD at the end of our doctor’s name, but you may have wondered what the ini-tials FACC stand for. In short, they’re a sign of professional excellence. FACC means that your cardiologist is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and has made a commitment to the highest standards of patient care.

To be considered for membership in the ACC, your cardiologist must go through years of education and training, including four years of medical school, three years of training in internal medicine, and another three or more years of specialized training in cardiology.

Additional years of training are needed for developing expertise in a cardiology subspecialty, such as electrophysiology or interventional cardiology. A pediatric cardiologist completes three years of training in pediatrics, and another three years of specialized training. And a cardiovascular surgeon completes five years of training in general surgery, followed by another two to three years of specialized training in cardiothoracic surgery.

Cardiologists, pediatric cardiologists, and cardiovascular surgeons must become board-certified before gaining membership in the ACC, passing challenging exams that thoroughly test their knowledge, judgment, and ability to provide the very best patient care. And they must maintain those skills throughout their careers by participating in ongoing training and education programs.

The initials FACC pack a lot of education, instruction, and ex-pertise into a small space. They let you know that your cardiologist has joined with colleagues around the world to lead the way in the prevention and treatment of heart disease.

For more information on heart disease and being heart healthy, visit the ACC web site.