stethoscope advice

[piojo]

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Hi, I have a couple of friends who are about to go into practice and would like to make them a gift of two engraved stethoscopes...I have no experience with the brands available, but like the look of the Ultrascope brand...does anybody use this brand and if so, what is your opinion?
Many thanks.

 

[Gulliver]

That's a crappy gift. 😉

 

[Dr Alo]

Littman is considered the gold standard. Get one with a bell and diagpragm. Click on the ads on top of this thread. If they are going into peds you can get small ones. If cardiology, get the cardio ones.

 

[Docgeorge]

Which ever has the logest tubing! The more distance btw you and the the patient who has the productive cough the better.

 

[Febrifuge]

This is a topic that is just soaked through with people's different preferences and biases, based mostly on experience and comfort. It seems there are better and there are worse, but anyone you ask will probably recommend what they learned on, and what they learned on will probably be what they still use today.

The best analogy is asking guitar players about their choice of instrument, because honestly, beyond the level of total crap, it's as much the person as it is the hardware. Littman is basically the Fender Strat of stethoscopes. They're very good, and they're thought to be the gold standard because so many people use them. However, there might be perfectly good reasons to use something else.

I have a DRG Puretone Traditional, and love it. Heavy tubing with steel spring material inside. In truth, I can't say what is objectively better, but I like what I've got. (I also have a Carvin Custom all-mahogany with a maple top and active electronics, and think Strats feel like holding a two-by-four, so there you go).

 

[Koko]

If possible, speak with their med friends to see what, if any prefernces they have (the friends can even do some sly investigative work to get them to say what they would like for you). Make sure you know what field they're going into (scopes are not ideal for a future psych and the ideal type may differ depending on field of practice).

In the end, the thoughtfulness of the gift and effort to engrave the scopes will be more important to your friends than the exact model.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Boy..there's such a variability in preference, and what works well for someone I would be loathe to purchase a stethoscope for someone. Its almost like purchasing jewelry or clothing, except if its engraved they can't return it (ie, what do I do with the awful shade of orange monogrammed cashmere scarf my mother got me? Sadly true...)

I found my stethoscope (Littman Cards) by actually using the various types. I could hear some sounds with it that I couldn't with my regular Littman.

Anyway, not to talk you out of what sounds like a generous and thoughtful gift, but if they are "going into practice" (ie, out of residency) perhaps some thought to things like engraved business card holders, doctor's bag (IF they are in a specialty which carries them), certificate to have all their degrees nicely framed, or something office related would be nice.

 

[Winged Scapula]

BTW, please see the Sticky above for information about the different types of stehoscopes, preferences, etc.

 

[heldicus]

I appreciate the spirit of your gift, but if they're going into practice, I betcha they have stethoscopes.

How about a nice picture for their office or something?

 

[Gimlet]

Hi, I have a couple of friends who are about to go into practice and would like to make them a gift of two engraved stethoscopes...I have no experience with the brands available, but like the look of the Ultrascope brand...does anybody use this brand and if so, what is your opinion?
Many thanks.

Post history for this person shows s/he posted the exact same question in the Veterinary Medicine forum! Not sure, but I would bet that DVMs look for different things in a stethoscope than MDs do.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Post history for this person shows s/he posted the exact same question in the Veterinary Medicine forum! Not sure, but I would bet that DVMs look for different things in a stethoscope than MDs do.

Maybe something to filter out fur rubbing against the tubing and purring. I was trying to listen to my cat the other day (ok...so I was bored) and couldn't hear a darn thing except his rrrrrrrrrrr 🙂

Since this question is also posted elsewhere, the thread will be closed here due to SDN TOS violation (posting in multiple forums).