MD & DO Best Stethoscope?

[TSHJB302]

Hi everyone!

If I am posting this in the wrong place, I apologize in advance. I am officially starting medical school next Fall and I was wondering if anyone had insight on what kind of stethoscope is best for a medical student. There's so many options out there and I'm not too sure what I should be looking for. Any help would be appreciated!

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[slowthai]

That's a flea collar. Leave them for the fleas.

Hot Lights Cold Steel anyone? No? Never mind.

Only thing stethoscopes are good for is for opening safes. Not that I would know how to--just ban me already Matthew. Thanks.

 

[Sephirakra]

Hi everyone!

If I am posting this in the wrong place, I apologize in advance. I am officially starting medical school next Fall and I was wondering if anyone had insight on what kind of stethoscope is best for a medical student. There's so many options out there and I'm not too sure what I should be looking for. Any help would be appreciated!

I see so many of my classmates with fancy $200 jobs that they literally keep in the box between standardized patient encounters. I got a $35 one when I was an EMT ten years ago, and it's still serving me well. During your first two years, you likely won't have any idea what you're listening to/for, so a high-end one will be somewhat wasted. That said, if you have the cash and want to get one that will last a while, most people seem happy with Littmann Cardiology III/IV.

 

[TSHJB302]

I see so many of my classmates with fancy $200 jobs that they literally keep in the box between standardized patient encounters. I got a $35 one when I was an EMT ten years ago, and it's still serving me well. During your first two years, you likely won't have any idea what you're listening to/for, so a high-end one will be somewhat wasted. That said, if you have the cash and want to get one that will last a while, most people seem happy with Littmann Cardiology III/IV.

Thanks for your input! What brand was your $35 one? Also do you recommend that I actually go to a medical supply store and try them on to test for comfort? Or is that pretty standard among all stethoscopes, making ordering off of amazon prime sufficient?

 

[nimbus]

I lose about 1 stethoscope per year. I recommend this one. I hate the 2sided stethoscopes with a bell and a diaphragm. They seem to invariably be turned to the side you are not using.
Amazon is great.

 

[holdthemayo]

I took a disposable one from the supply closet. Works well enough for what I'm expected to hear.

 

[jurassicpark]

From a wise mentor : "Why do I need a stethoscope? If I want to listen to the lungs I'll order a chest x-ray. If I want to listen to the heart I'll get an echo!"

But in all seriousness, you do NOT need anything fancy. In fact, it'll just put a target on your back that you better get every single heart sound correct and better be on your A-game for everything. The Littman's for me have been fairly reliable. After almost 15 years since med school, I've only had two both the same ones.

 

[Blanky]

Littman classic III... Its $80 and will last your career.

 

[TSHJB302]

Thank you all for your help!

 

[andalusite_angles]

I had a cheap Adscope that lasted ten years. Totally recommend over the other less expensive stethoscopes, it was actually pretty good.

At one point I had a Littman Cardiology III but unfortunately it sprouted legs and decided to make itself at home with someone else. I currently use a Littman Cardiology IV and I love it - if you’re going to drop that much coin get it engraved with your name on it.

 

[scoopdaboop]

I got the amazon mdf one that costs 25. Never let me down so far albeit the only thing I’ve been asked to do was to check blood pressure.

 

[Schwifty]

Hi everyone!

If I am posting this in the wrong place, I apologize in advance. I am officially starting medical school next Fall and I was wondering if anyone had insight on what kind of stethoscope is best for a medical student. There's so many options out there and I'm not too sure what I should be looking for. Any help would be appreciated!

Amazon product
I got this as a gift, works well, no problems so far

 

[Kodite]

Wait until you know for sure which school you’re attending and you know their policies. They may require you to buy a specific stethoscope or give you one at orientation. This thread’s recommendations don’t match my experiences. 80% of my class has the Littmann Card IV, which my school recommends, and the other 20% use the ADC Cardiology. You won’t look like a try-hard or a gunner if you get the Littmann; no one will care because almost everyone uses it.

 

[Gilakend]

I used the Littmann lightweight SE as an EMT and now have a Littmann Cardiology IV that my school gave us. About $100 difference in price and I can hear absolutely nothing just as well with either. I'd go with the cheaper one.

 

[sparkysparkyboomman]

My school gave everyone Littmans at white coat. So maybe hold off on buying one just yet.

 

[Zifish]

I use an Erka Precise and I’d recommend it to everyone. Has a lot of great features, less expensive than a Littmann Cardio 4, but has way better/clearer/louder auscultation than a cardio 4. Two examples: I was able to hear a murmur that my classmates with Littmann’s couldn’t. I was able to easily hear BP sounds during a health fair on a busy street and couldn’t hear as clearly when I tried out a friend’s cardio 4.

 

[TheHumblingRiver]

Littman, Master of Cardiology. It has lasted me nearly 10 years in ICU and ED as an RN.

But those little yellow disposables seem to work pretty damn well.

 

[Tobirama]

Many med schools gift their incoming cohort with stethoscopes. But with that said, med-surg RN here, starting med school this coming fall. Have been using the 3M Littmann Cardiology IV Diagnostic Stethoscope, Black-Finish Chestpiece, Black Tube, Stem all throughout my nursing career and it has been both reliable and durable. The black finish suits whatever you'll happen to be wearing as well.

 

[SteyrFWB]

Get one with a small/pediatric bell, it will be lighter on your neck, and fits better in your white coat. You can hear just as well with pediatric diaphragm as an adult one, but peds ones is so much lighter. Once I used a ped one, never gone back to the heavy weight ones.

if you wear it on your neck, over time your skin oil will stiffen the rubber hose, and that part needs to be replaced.

if you work inside MRI, bell has to be non-ferrous. Otherwise, it flies to patient’s head, not a joking matter. Again, pedo ones less likely to fly than adult heavy weight.

Any pediatric Littman will do. You only use it to determine if breath sounds are equal, and endotracheal tube is not too far down; to determine if lungs are clear, or if patient is wheezing or sounding like a dishwasher. Listen to heart for arrhythmia, and whether murmur is present.

Days of using fine stethoscope to make cardiac anatomic anomaly diagnosis are over. Ultrasound took over that role.

Save your money for that $2000 Bill Gate sponsored Butterfly personal ultrasound in your pocket. Fun to look at human body from head down to toe. Perfecting your IV, arterial line, centra line technique. Fun to scan brain, eye, carotid, heart, liver, kidney, uterus, etc, etc.

As for that stethoscope , get a basic pediatric Littman, $50 will do.

 

[MightBeACylon439]

The yellow ones in the MRSA rooms are pretty good as long as you have the drum/bell turned so that it actually transmits sound.

Fun story I used to think they were the ****tiest things on earth because I could literally hear nothing. Then during a fourth year boondoggle rotation a try-hard third year showed me that they work like normal stethescopes...totally turned my world around man.

 

[dienekes88]

Hi everyone!

If I am posting this in the wrong place, I apologize in advance. I am officially starting medical school next Fall and I was wondering if anyone had insight on what kind of stethoscope is best for a medical student. There's so many options out there and I'm not too sure what I should be looking for. Any help would be appreciated!

Littman Cardio III.

Cardiac auscultation increasingly is becoming a lost art, though.

 

[Isoval]

I have a Littman Cardio IV.

I also have a 25$ FriCARE stethoscope I got on Amazon to leave in my car for when I'm an idiot and forget my nice stethoscope.

There's a noticeable difference if you're really paying attention for it, but really, you're not looking for a 1/6 murmur as a medical student. You'll be able to hear the rubs, gallops, and most murmurs just fine with a decent cheap stethoscope.

At the end of the day it's just a cup with a tube attached to it that you can stick in your ears.

 

[ciestar]

I only have the cardio IV because it was cheaper than the III when i bought it. That said, you don’t need to spend that amount of money on a stethoscope. The Classic III would be fine too.

 

[NickNaylor]

I got a Littmann 3200 as a toy just to see what using it was like. It would probably be a bit ridiculous as a medical student given the price (and the propensity for students to lose them) but I really like it. Unlike a lot of reviews I don't have any problems with the sound quality, though it's definitely worse than a non-electronic stethoscope over clothes.

 

[shemer77]

If you spend more than 40$ bucks you are doing it wrong

 

[ExcitatorySynapse]

I got a Littman Cardiology IV, with my name on it and the colour/look of my choice. My school recommended it and the MS2s were like - it makes sense to get a nice one that you can keep throughout your career and that made sense to me. Eh.
Most of my classmates have the same, and when I shadowed, most residents also had IVs or fancy electric ones, so it doesn’t really stand out.

 

[HuskyMD Emeritus]

I am still using my Littman Cardiology stethoscope, the original cardiology stethoscope, I bought as a 3rd year medical student when it first came out in the 80's. It has served me well all these years. Remember, the most important part of the stethoscope is what's between the ear pieces.

 

[alprazoslam]

Make sure to get a gold one so everyone things you are a tool

 

[sgw97]

You guys I'm trolling these threads since I just got my first acceptance and my mom wants to get me a nice stethoscope for a celebratory gift. Should I tell her to wait until I know for sure where I'll end up?

 

[paradoxic_toxic]

You guys I'm trolling these threads since I just got my first acceptance and my mom wants to get me a nice stethoscope for a celebratory gift. Should I tell her to wait until I know for sure where I'll end up?

Hold off on getting one because some schools give you a free stethoscope

 

[aldol16]

Are you sure you don't get one at your white coat ceremony? Many schools are moving towards giving them during the white coat. If not, then Littmann makes excellent stethoscopes. You don't need anything fancy. Anything with a diaphragm and a bell will work nicely. I think all the Littmann ones are good but if you end up getting a non-Littmann one, make sure it's not one of those cheap ones where you can't hear anything. It's not really serving any purpose if you're not able to listen to the heart murmur with it.