Medical school Equipment list

[ATPsynthase123]

So I'm trying to budget out my costs for my first year in medical school and I have a few questions for you guys:

When looking at anatomy equipment (scalpel blades, handles, forceps, probes etc.) is it best to buy it in a kit, or parcel it out? Also, when buying scalpel blades, how many do I need? I don't want to buy a bulk of 100 blades if I will only need 20-40 of them. Does scalpel blade qualify matter, or should I buy the cheapest #22 blades in bulk?

Do you recommend a long lab coat for anatomy lab, or would that be weird (I know it's a whole thing for a med student to wear a white coat like that)? I'm not too keen on getting sprayed with embalming fluid.

______________________________________________________

Also, for the patient care classes (simulated patient encounters with actors) do you recommend buying the diagnostic kits from the vendors at orientation or parceling it out?

Most of it isn't really that expensive to parcel out for quality stuff, but the one thing that is expensive as **** is the otoscope/opthalmoscope combos. Like 300-600 dollars. I'm trying to find the line between inexpensive and reliable, but I know that those rarely come in the same package. If you get something cheap you usually pay for it in quality, and I want these to last a few years since they're so ****ing expensive. So what models would you guys recommend for the following:

* otoscope

* panoptic ophthalmoscope

* panoptic and coaxial units (?)

* stethoscope

* sphygmomanometer

If I have to buy this stuff now, I'd like to get good enough quality that will last me through at least the first year or two of my residency.

We also need a 28-31 inch consultation cost, when I buy this will it be the same one I use on rotations, or will it be the one I get at the white coat ceremony at the end of year 2?



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[67552931811]

So I'm trying to budget out my costs for my first year in medical school and I have a few questions for you guys:

When looking at anatomy equipment (scalpel blades, handles, forceps, probes etc.) is it best to buy it in a kit, or parcel it out? Also, when buying scalpel blades, how many do I need? I don't want to buy a bulk of 100 blades if I will only need 20-40 of them. Does scalpel blade qualify matter, or should I buy the cheapest #22 blades in bulk?

Do you recommend a long lab coat for anatomy lab, or would that be weird (I know it's a whole thing for a med student to wear a white coat like that)? I'm not too keen on getting sprayed with embalming fluid.

______________________________________________________

Also, for the patient care classes (simulated patient encounters with actors) do you recommend buying the diagnostic kits from the vendors at orientation or parceling it out?

Most of it isn't really that expensive to parcel out for quality stuff, but the one thing that is expensive as **** is the otoscope/opthalmoscope combos. Like 300-600 dollars. I'm trying to find the line between inexpensive and reliable, but I know that those rarely come in the same package. If you get something cheap you usually pay for it in quality, and I want these to last a few years since they're so ****ing expensive. So what models would you guys recommend for the following:

* otoscope

* panoptic ophthalmoscope

* panoptic and coaxial units (?)

* stethoscope

* sphygmomanometer

If I have to buy this stuff now, I'd like to get good enough quality that will last me through at least the first year or two of my residency.

We also need a 28-31 inch consultation cost, when I buy this will it be the same one I use on rotations, or will it be the one I get at the white coat ceremony at the end of year 2?



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Ive never heard of a medical school requiring scapels/ scapel blades/ etc.. Same with anatomy lab coat.

Literally the only thing on that list that you'll own as an intern is a stethoscope. Everything else will be in the patient rooms. If I could go back in time I would not buy anything, sans steth, and just ask to borrows people's equipment when needed. It's just another admin BS to drain us of money.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Buy a stethoscope, the other stuff should be at whatever hospital/clinic you're rotating at if you need it. If your school requires you to buy it, find a third or fourth year and buy theirs at a discount.

You're wearing scrubs in anatomy lab anyways.

We didn't have to provide our own dissection kits, so I'm not sure there.

 

[ATPsynthase123]

Ive never heard of a medical school requiring scapels/ scapel blades/ etc.. Same with anatomy lab coat.

Literally the only thing on that list that you'll own as an intern is a stethoscope. Everything else will be in the patient rooms. If I could go back in time I would not buy anything, sans steth, and just ask to borrows people's equipment when needed. It's just another admin BS to drain us of money.

The lab coat isn't required, I just thought it might be a good idea to keep me from getting body fluid all over me during dissections. Every med student I've spoken to has told me to absolutely not buy the otoscope. I'm glad too, the damn thing is like $400 minimum


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[ATPsynthase123]

Buy a stethoscope, the other stuff should be at whatever hospital/clinic you're rotating at if you need it. If your school requires you to buy it, find a third or fourth year and buy theirs at a discount.

You're wearing scrubs in anatomy lab anyways.

We didn't have to provide our own dissection kits, so I'm not sure there.

What about a lab coat for anatomy lab? Would that be needed? It's recommended, but not required l.


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[67552931811]

The lab coat isn't required, I just thought it might be a good idea to keep me from getting body fluid all over me during dissections. Every med student I've spoken to has told me to absolutely not buy the otoscope. I'm glad too, the damn thing is like $400 minimum


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I am willing to wager your school will provide the lab coats for you, dude/dudette. I've never heard of a med school not supplying these...

 

[ATPsynthase123]

I am willing to wager your school will provide the lab coats for you, dude/dudette. I've never heard of a med school not supplying these...

lol okay, I'm just trying to figure out a rough idea of what I need to order/buy


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[JustPlainBill]

So I'm trying to budget out my costs for my first year in medical school and I have a few questions for you guys:

When looking at anatomy equipment (scalpel blades, handles, forceps, probes etc.) is it best to buy it in a kit, or parcel it out? Also, when buying scalpel blades, how many do I need? I don't want to buy a bulk of 100 blades if I will only need 20-40 of them. Does scalpel blade qualify matter, or should I buy the cheapest #22 blades in bulk?

Do you recommend a long lab coat for anatomy lab, or would that be weird (I know it's a whole thing for a med student to wear a white coat like that)? I'm not too keen on getting sprayed with embalming fluid.

______________________________________________________

Also, for the patient care classes (simulated patient encounters with actors) do you recommend buying the diagnostic kits from the vendors at orientation or parceling it out?

Most of it isn't really that expensive to parcel out for quality stuff, but the one thing that is expensive as **** is the otoscope/opthalmoscope combos. Like 300-600 dollars. I'm trying to find the line between inexpensive and reliable, but I know that those rarely come in the same package. If you get something cheap you usually pay for it in quality, and I want these to last a few years since they're so ****ing expensive. So what models would you guys recommend for the following:

* otoscope

* panoptic ophthalmoscope

* panoptic and coaxial units (?)

* stethoscope

* sphygmomanometer

If I have to buy this stuff now, I'd like to get good enough quality that will last me through at least the first year or two of my residency.

We also need a 28-31 inch consultation cost, when I buy this will it be the same one I use on rotations, or will it be the one I get at the white coat ceremony at the end of year 2?



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You don't need anything except the stethoscope. the otoscope can be nice to have IF you buy a pocket one but do not by the panoptic or the BP cuff (unless you go to Walmart and buy the el cheapo version) --- they want everyone to have their own training gear and latest greatest stuff so it looks good on their recruitment brochures.

What you really need is a stethoscope and maybe some form of otoscope but truthfully, that can wait until you're out on your own. I've got a pocket unit that I mainly use when I'm examining my family members to determine if they need to go to urgent care or wait it out.....and I'm an attending -- otherwise, they should already be in all the exam rooms.

White coat for anatomy lab? Why? -- you've obviously never spent several hours a week for an entire year in a formaldehyde drenched anatomy lab -- the scrubs will be throw aways -- usually upperclassmen will sell them to you for $10 bucks a pair and they will either wind up being burned or recycled down to the next class -- do not think of wearing them to anything else as they will be nasty/funky; Why waste the money on a lab coat? Ok, I get that the school would like for everyone to look professional and take the appropriate attitude within the inner sanctum of the hall of medical learning known as the anatomy lab but it'll just reek of formaldehyde, you won't be able to wear it anywhere else and it'll either be burned or handed down. As far as getting "stuff" on you? Really? If you haven't eaten a sandwich on your cadaver tank while skipping lunch or working through dinner during medical school, your education is lacking --- just kidding (sorta) --

We were at the end of our anatomy year, had just removed the legs at mid-thigh and the upper thorax above the pelvis. We had done a sagittal cut to allow inspection of the medial aspect of the pelvis and were dissecting out the associated structures. I never wore a mask after the first month and by the time you're at the end, you're over the "ookiness" of it all --- it's just another dissection --- or so I thought --- We're down in the area of the sigmoid colon and external anal sphincter when I'm discussing whether my side of the dissection is going to be the vascular side or nerve side when my tankmate proceeds to flick a piece of tissue from the upper rectal/lower sigmoid area straight into my mouth as I was in the middle of discussing this with our other tankmate. I liked to have barfed right there. closed my eye and felt the small piece go down the throat --- reminded myself of the power of stomach acid, figured I had eaten worse off base in the Philippines and moved on with the dissection.

After a while, you'll get used to it --- I got to the point where I had a labial abscess spew purulent matter all over my mask, glasses and into my hair when I stuck the 11 blade into it as an intern -- that's when I learned the trick of covering any abscess with a 4x4 as I was making the cut. The upper level OB resident just smirked through their mask --- peckerwood knew what was going to happen and never offered to help out.....

Welcome to medicine.

 

[ATPsynthase123]

You don't need anything except the stethoscope. the otoscope can be nice to have IF you buy a pocket one but do not by the panoptic or the BP cuff (unless you go to Walmart and buy the el cheapo version) --- they want everyone to have their own training gear and latest greatest stuff so it looks good on their recruitment brochures.

What you really need is a stethoscope and maybe some form of otoscope but truthfully, that can wait until you're out on your own. I've got a pocket unit that I mainly use when I'm examining my family members to determine if they need to go to urgent care or wait it out.....and I'm an attending -- otherwise, they should already be in all the exam rooms.

White coat for anatomy lab? Why? -- you've obviously never spent several hours a week for an entire year in a formaldehyde drenched anatomy lab -- the scrubs will be throw aways -- usually upperclassmen will sell them to you for $10 bucks a pair and they will either wind up being burned or recycled down to the next class -- do not think of wearing them to anything else as they will be nasty/funky; Why waste the money on a lab coat? Ok, I get that the school would like for everyone to look professional and take the appropriate attitude within the inner sanctum of the hall of medical learning known as the anatomy lab but it'll just reek of formaldehyde, you won't be able to wear it anywhere else and it'll either be burned or handed down. As far as getting "stuff" on you? Really? If you haven't eaten a sandwich on your cadaver tank while skipping lunch or working through dinner during medical school, your education is lacking --- just kidding (sorta) --

We were at the end of our anatomy year, had just removed the legs at mid-thigh and the upper thorax above the pelvis. We had done a sagittal cut to allow inspection of the medial aspect of the pelvis and were dissecting out the associated structures. I never wore a mask after the first month and by the time you're at the end, you're over the "ookiness" of it all --- it's just another dissection --- or so I thought --- We're down in the area of the sigmoid colon and external anal sphincter when I'm discussing whether my side of the dissection is going to be the vascular side or nerve side when my tankmate proceeds to flick a piece of tissue from the upper rectal/lower sigmoid area straight into my mouth as I was in the middle of discussing this with our other tankmate. I liked to have barfed right there. closed my eye and felt the small piece go down the throat --- reminded myself of the power of stomach acid, figured I had eaten worse off base in the Philippines and moved on with the dissection.

After a while, you'll get used to it --- I got to the point where I had a labial abscess spew purulent matter all over my mask, glasses and into my hair when I stuck the 11 blade into it as an intern -- that's when I learned the trick of covering any abscess with a 4x4 as I was making the cut. The upper level OB resident just smirked through their mask --- peckerwood knew what was going to happen and never offered to help out.....

Welcome to medicine.

lol realist thing I've read all day.

I'll avoid the lab coat then. The recommended it as PPE only, but I was told by a few current students that no one uses them. I'm mainly trying to figure out a budget for next fall when I start.

Have a recommendation on a stethoscope? I've heard the Littman Cardiology 3 is good, would that be appropriate for a med student to buy, or would it be overkill?


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[JustPlainBill]

lol realist thing I've read all day.

I'll avoid the lab coat then. The recommended it as PPE only, but I was told by a few current students that no one uses them. I'm mainly trying to figure out a budget for next fall when I start.

Have a recommendation on a stethoscope? I've heard the Littman Cardiology 3 is good, would that be appropriate for a med student to buy, or would it be overkill?


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The Cardiology 3 is a good one -- no, it's not overkill but a good piece of kit that will likely last you through residency and into practice with a little TLC. Everyone wants to get all exotic -- right now, you're trying to learn normal and variants of normal -- I don't expect you to hear a 1 or 2/6 SEM at your level and differentiating between crackles, rales, ronchi, wheezes is likely going to be a little challenging -- clinical exam skills need to be taught by a competent clinician -- unfortunately, these classes are usually scheduled at the end of the day when everyone really just wants to go home and chill for a bit before cracking the books.

Also, word to the wise -- DO NOT expect to get any training in clinical exam skills in your 3rd year -- you likely will but what I'm trying to say is take advantage of the time you have now in your didactic years to learn this stuff -- do NOT blow it off chasing boards --- now is the time to ask the questions and get the information.

Good luck.

 

[ATPsynthase123]

The Cardiology 3 is a good one -- no, it's not overkill but a good piece of kit that will likely last you through residency and into practice with a little TLC. Everyone wants to get all exotic -- right now, you're trying to learn normal and variants of normal -- I don't expect you to hear a 1 or 2/6 SEM at your level and differentiating between crackles, rales, ronchi, wheezes is likely going to be a little challenging -- clinical exam skills need to be taught by a competent clinician -- unfortunately, these classes are usually scheduled at the end of the day when everyone really just wants to go home and chill for a bit before cracking the books.

Also, word to the wise -- DO NOT expect to get any training in clinical exam skills in your 3rd year -- you likely will but what I'm trying to say is take advantage of the time you have now in your didactic years to learn this stuff -- do NOT blow it off chasing boards --- now is the time to ask the questions and get the information.

Good luck.

Thanks!


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[Dr. Death]

Don't buy anything. At our school they gave us all free Cardiology III on the first day of orientation. Put it off as long as you can and get it as cheap as possible

 

[ortnakas]

Don't buy anything yet. You don't need a lot of it (definitely none of the surgical equipment) and some of it you might get for free (a lot of schools give stethoscopes). Other things you should wait and see what your school requires. They might make you get your own otoscope/opthalmoscope, and if they have specific brand recommendations/requirements you A) wouldn't want to waste your money on something you won't end up using and B) you might be able to buy one off of another student who isn't using theirs anymore for a fraction of the price.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Don't buy anything yet. You don't need a lot of it (definitely none of the surgical equipment) and some of it you might get for free pay for with loans via tuition (a lot of schools give stethoscopes). Other things you should wait and see what your school requires. They might make you get your own otoscope/opthalmoscope, and if they have specific brand recommendations/requirements you A) wouldn't want to waste your money on something you won't end up using and B) you might be able to buy one off of another student who isn't using theirs anymore for a fraction of the price.

FTFY

 

[ATPsynthase123]

Don't buy anything yet. You don't need a lot of it (definitely none of the surgical equipment) and some of it you might get for free (a lot of schools give stethoscopes). Other things you should wait and see what your school requires. They might make you get your own otoscope/opthalmoscope, and if they have specific brand recommendations/requirements you A) wouldn't want to waste your money on something you won't end up using and B) you might be able to buy one off of another student who isn't using theirs anymore for a fraction of the price.

Lol no, this school makes us order everything through a Welch Allen distributor, unless you want to buy each thing individually


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[Gordon Gekko]

Check eBay for used kits after January. Anywhere from $350-600 and that's including the panoptic.


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[Skynnyrd]

So I'm trying to budget out my costs for my first year in medical school and I have a few questions for you guys:

When looking at anatomy equipment (scalpel blades, handles, forceps, probes etc.) is it best to buy it in a kit, or parcel it out? Also, when buying scalpel blades, how many do I need? I don't want to buy a bulk of 100 blades if I will only need 20-40 of them. Does scalpel blade qualify matter, or should I buy the cheapest #22 blades in bulk?

Do you recommend a long lab coat for anatomy lab, or would that be weird (I know it's a whole thing for a med student to wear a white coat like that)? I'm not too keen on getting sprayed with embalming fluid.

______________________________________________________

Also, for the patient care classes (simulated patient encounters with actors) do you recommend buying the diagnostic kits from the vendors at orientation or parceling it out?

Most of it isn't really that expensive to parcel out for quality stuff, but the one thing that is expensive as **** is the otoscope/opthalmoscope combos. Like 300-600 dollars. I'm trying to find the line between inexpensive and reliable, but I know that those rarely come in the same package. If you get something cheap you usually pay for it in quality, and I want these to last a few years since they're so ****ing expensive. So what models would you guys recommend for the following:

* otoscope

* panoptic ophthalmoscope

* panoptic and coaxial units (?)

* stethoscope

* sphygmomanometer

If I have to buy this stuff now, I'd like to get good enough quality that will last me through at least the first year or two of my residency.

We also need a 28-31 inch consultation cost, when I buy this will it be the same one I use on rotations, or will it be the one I get at the white coat ceremony at the end of year 2?



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Don't need otoscope, ophthalmoscope or bp cuff, stethoscope is a must and it is also helpful to have a reflex hammer, pen light, and maxwells for patient encounters. That combination is essential third year but would also allow you to do most simulated physical exams during 1st and 2nd year. Good luck on the journey!

 

[WorldChanger36]

Never bought any of that stuff and bought a 5 dollar vet stethoscope for OMS1 and 2. Pen lights and many other things just seem to show up. I already have 5 pen lights thanks to the navy and army. You can do DTRs with your fingers or an iphone with practice.


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[Mad Jack]

I am willing to wager your school will provide the lab coats for you, dude/dudette. I've never heard of a med school not supplying these...

We didn't have lab coats for dissection. Hell, we even had to provide our own gloves.

 

[MedNation907]

Plenty of your classmates will drop cash for those things, don't buy anything. E.g. Our school provided stethoscopes, lab coats, gloves? lol sad to think some students needed to buy gloves, and I just bummed all the other useless crap off of students lol seriously its so much money you can save. Unless you want to do a lot of overseas trips, that equipment serves very little purpose.


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[67552931811]

We didn't have lab coats for dissection. Hell, we even had to provide our own gloves.

Damn. That's just wrong.

 

[Mad Jack]

Damn. That's just wrong.

Never really minded it. I don't think I ever felt the need for a lab coat (only got solution on myself once, and that was through a punctured glove) and gloves were all of $30 for the year.

 

[67552931811]

Never really minded it. I don't think I ever felt the need for a lab coat (only got solution on myself once, and that was through a punctured glove) and gloves were all of $30 for the year.

It wasn't necessarily a monetary comment. More so an ethical one. But, I suppose that's for another thread ha