Another stethoscope thread...

[MsEvolution]

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Do you need to have one by the time you start med school? I've heard that it's customary to receive one as a gift from family/loved ones upon starting school.

Or is it best to wait until you need to start using one (rotations?) and see if your school has any recommendations?

 

[efex101]

you for sure do not need much for the first semester so I would wait and see what other folks have....

 

[kenmc3]

you for sure do not need much for the first semester so I would wait and see what other folks have....

It depends on the schools, some can start using them in the first month. But you might as well wait - you may be able to buy one with a bunch of friends and get a discount.

 

[SuitsYou]

Do you need to have one by the time you start med school? I've heard that it's customary to receive one as a gift from family/loved ones upon starting school.

No. However stethoscopes are not like computer software, they wont be obsolete anytime soon so if you have a loved one looking to make a purchase dont look a gift horse in the mouth 😉 Anyway, who amongst us has never listened to their own heart/lung/bowel sounds when you get bored studying?

 

[Doc 2b]

If you have any clinical opportunities during your first years, you'll need one. Get a littman cardiac III, you can do a breathing assessment without even entering the room

 

[Halaljello]

you most likely wont need it first year...but if someone's giving it to you for a gift, then take it! they're pretty expensive...and you can always use it next year when you do start doing more clinical stuff. If you still don't think you need it then you can give it to me!

 

[MeowMix]

Our school provides stethoscopes instead of white coats at the first-year ceremony. We start using them right away, for clinical work and to learn the physical exam.

Some schools recommend very specific models, so wait until you figure out where you're going and then decide what you need. Although it sounds silly now, get it engraved or get the tube personalized (prevents it 'walking away').

 

[kappasigMD41]

you most likely wont need it first year...but if someone's giving it to you for a gift, then take it! they're pretty expensive...and you can always use it next year when you do start doing more clinical stuff. If you still don't think you need it then you can give it to me!

We had to start using our steths during the 5th wk of school. Are you saying that you don't do any physical exams on patients during the first year? Hell, I did hundreds.

 

[raya]

Yeah, I think it boils down to what your curriculum is. We had basic sciences the whole of first year, and I -- along with the majority of the class -- survived it without having stethoscopes. The batch after us however, changed curriculums and now study physical examination together with the basic sciences...so they have stethoscopes.

I bought one as we started clinical subjects. Ain't Littman though, because I couldn't afford one just yet, but my stethoscope's good enough, all the same. And yeah, if someone gifts you with a stethoscope, take it!!! And say thank you. 🙂

 

[fielight]

Do you need to have one by the time you start med school? I've heard that it's customary to receive one as a gift from family/loved ones upon starting school.

Or is it best to wait until you need to start using one (rotations?) and see if your school has any recommendations?

no, you really don't. the fact is, you don't know enough about medical equipment before starting classes; you would be better off waiting until classes start, then talk to other students, talk to the clinical course directors before make a decision on which stethoscope to buy. it would seem like a nice gesture for your parents to buy one as a gift, but then you run the risk of receiving a low-end one (e.g., nursing types) that is inadequate for what you'll need or something much too expensive (e.g., an electronic stethoscope). if your school has clinical exposure in the first years, then they'll tell you if you need a stethoscope. they'll probably have some on loan for the incoming students, so don't fret it about it now. also, some of the students organizations (e.g., AMSA) will coordinate equipment sales for the first years, and most people will buy it then.

 

[John Deere Gree]

Depends on the school when you need one.

We needed it by the second week of school (we started H&P then)

 

[Tone2002]

Isn't the standard the Littmann's III stethoscope... so I would just tell your family members to get one of those.

We do H&P's next semester so we need it.

 

[Lebesgue]

I have an old Cardiology SEII (III equivalent) and recently got a Master Cardiology, and like it better. I think it has better sound, not 50% better or anything like that, just better, and you only have to change pressure to go between a bell mode and a diaphragm mode...

It also has a handy peds adaptor if your doing a rotation with the little people.

😉

 

[Mike59]

If you learn to listen properly for heart sounds, you should be able to hear quite well with anything even mildly above a crappy nurse's scope...in some cases you can even hear murmur's with a nurses scope.

The bottom line is don't run out and buy the most expensive model. It's more about having 'something' and learning to train your ear.

 

[lilmo]

here's a little tidbit from my clinical skills final:

Q: What's the bell of the stethoscope used for?

A: to ring in the new year! (obviously not the correct answer, but at this point i was kicking myself for actually wasting a few hours to study for it.)