Stethoscope advice...

[MoonLDCG47]

Hi everyone,

I am starting med school in about a week and wanted some advice on what stethoscope to buy. I am willing to spend a little more if it means getting to use it for 4+ years.

Right now I am thinking of getting the Cardiology III from Littmann. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

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[Bacchus]

I like my Cardio III, but if I had to buy my own stethoscope I'd buy something cheaper. The tunable diaphragm is OK but takes some practice. I don't know how it sounds compared to other scopes, really, but I think it is overkill. A lot of your patients are going to be rather large and it won't make a difference in quality of scope, or so I think.

 

[MoonLDCG47]

I like my Cardio III, but if I had to buy my own stethoscope I'd buy something cheaper. The tunable diaphragm is OK but takes some practice. I don't know how it sounds compared to other scopes, really, but I think it is overkill. A lot of your patients are going to be rather large and it won't make a difference in quality of scope, or so I think.

Thanks for your input really appreciate it!

 

[xanthomondo]

cardio 3 all the way

 

[GoIrish2010]

Lotta info in this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=263244 and many others if you want to really get into it.

If you don't want a tunable steth, go with a Welch Allyn. I went with WA and really like it (though I will say about 90% of students in my school went with Littman). I've been able to use both and they sound pretty comparable to my minimally trained ears. I've heard cardiologists say they get a clearer sound from WA scopes because they're not tunable (though I see many cardiologists using Littmans...) but that Littmans are louder. I personally haven't noticed a difference when I've used them.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Lotta info in this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=263244 and many others if you want to really get into it.

If you don't want a tunable steth, go with a Welch Allyn. I went with WA and really like it (though I will say about 90% of students in my school went with Littman). I've been able to use both and they sound pretty comparable to my minimally trained ears. I've heard cardiologists say they get a clearer sound from WA scopes because they're not tunable (though I see many cardiologists using Littmans...) but that Littmans are louder. I personally haven't noticed a difference when I've used them.

If you are going to spend 300 dollars on a scope, it really doesn't matter after that. Welch and Litts are equivocal. Honestly, at that level, its whatever one you think "looks cooler." When you are at the upper tier of stethoscopes you can rest assured that there is no deficiency in the scope, only the thing between it.

I mean this as a good thing. Too many students dissuade themselves from the physical exam. Having never learned to do it correctly, they look to external blame ("my stethoscope sucks" being a leader in excuses). Knowing that you've got a great scope eliminates that crutch, closes that escape route, and forces the student to focus on their own deficiencies (thereby improving).

I prefer Littman (and have a Cardiology). But for whatever nuances one has over the other, get the littman if you like looking cool, the WA 3-head if you want to be different. Otherwise, its just about the same.

 

[armybound]

I use the Littmann Classic II SE. I like it. It's cheap.

 

[TexasPhysician]

I got the Harvey Elite and some of my classmates wish they did too. It's cheaper than Littman and better in my opinion - unless you are getting an electronic stethoscope.

 

[switcheroo]

For the love of god please try out a few steths before you buy one. I bought the cardio III to begin with, and it turns out I needed adjustable earpieces (couldn't hear ****). Bit the bullet and bought a welch allyn, and now I can actually hear. Moral of story: try before you buy.

 

[Geekchick921]

I use the Littmann Classic II SE. I like it. It's cheap.

I'm kinda leaning towards getting this for medical school then getting a Cardiology III or something (perhaps the Littman peds scope if I decide on peds) fancier sometime between matching and starting residency. My other thought is just to get the Cardiology III right off the bat. I just know it might get lost or stolen so I wouldn't be AS sad about losing one half the price.

It doesn't hurt that I like all the pretty colors the Classic II comes in.

 

[MedicineMike]

I got the Cardiology III. I don't know crap about what makes a good stethescope is or what to even listen for, but it seems to be what everyone gets, so i got it. ha

 

[GoIrish2010]

The WA Harvey Elite or DLX are similarly priced to the "equivalent" Littmans so it really comes down to a matter of preference. As suggested, you should try them before you buy.

 

[Bartelby]

I just know it might get lost or stolen so I wouldn't be AS sad about losing one half the price.

Keep it around your neck or in your pocket every minute that you're in the hospital. Mine has no name tag, no engraving, but with this habit it has never been a problem.

I like the cardio III. I bought a nursing stethoscope from a shoe store to begin with (for around ten bucks) and it worked fine early on. Then I realized how dumb it is to cheap out on a $130 stethoscope that I will use every day given that my education is worth about a quarter million dollars total. I can hear a difference between the two.

As a med student I'm not sure that getting something more expensive would help. Just get something that is high enough quality that you know you are the only limiting factor in your exam.

 

[Geekchick921]

Keep it around your neck or in your pocket every minute that you're in the hospital. Mine has no name tag, no engraving, but with this habit it has never been a problem.

In all honestly, this is probably what I will do. I used to keep pens in my hair or attached to my lanyard because I was sick of people stealing them. I imagine I will not let a stethoscope worth more than 100 of those pens leave my person.

 

[ejw5075]

In all honestly, this is probably what I will do. I used to keep pens in my hair or attached to my lanyard because I was sick of people stealing them. I imagine I will not let a stethoscope worth more than 100 of those pens leave my person.

Or you could do what I did and get something ridiculous engraved on it so no one would want to steal it

 

[MossPoh]

I have pretty good ears for everything except for heart sounds it seems. I have a cardio 3. It is ok. I took off the peds diaphgragm. Really, throw down a few bucks on one, but don't go crazy either. I'm about 2 weeks from wrapping up my first rotation (surgery) and already positive that I wish I could just throw the stupid thing out. Yes, I'm probably going into orthopedics or radiology, so my opinion of the stethoscope is probably less than most. Maybe if I develop some confidence in what I'm hearing it will change things, but that is doubtful..just one more friggin thing to carry around.

We are in community hospitals, so the theft thing isn't really a big issue here as long as you don't leave it sitting in a hallway or something.

 

[Geekchick921]

Or you could do what I did and get something ridiculous engraved on it so no one would want to steal it

Share.

 

[DrCoffeeBean]

I use Littman Classic II. No problems with it whatsoever, never had the issue of not hearing something because of my steth. Will get something fancier once I start residency, but the only reason for it is my love for gadgets, not because the good old classic II doesn't do the job.

 

[smq123]

I don't like the Littmann Classic IIs. They come in nice colors, but that's about the only advantage I can think of. The tubing is light, sticky, and has a weird reaction with skin that makes the tubing brittle over time. (Seriously; it's on the Littmann website.) I just feel like I can't hear squat with it.

I think the Cardiology III is a little heftier, which is better in that it can also double as a reflex hammer (or self defense weapon on the psych ward ).

I use the Welch Allyn Harvey Elite, and I like it. Again, it's hefty, and just feels little more sturdy than the Classic II.

Finally, I personally think it's a little silly to plan on buying a newer, better stethoscope when you become a resident. You're just as likely to lose it as a resident as you are a med student - more likely, even, because you're busier and have more things to do. Buy a good stethoscope now, so you can become comfortable with how it works. Plus, when you become a resident, you're almost certainly going to have other things that you'll need to spend money on then (i.e. moving, Step 3 fees, new textbooks and online resources, etc.) - so why plan on spending the money on another stethoscope?

 

[DrCoffeeBean]

so why plan on spending the money on another stethoscope?

Because it is a treat promised to myself by myself. If I needed a better steth because I couldn't hear anything through it I wouldn't wait until the residency to buy it.

 

[Bacchus]

Because it is a treat promised to myself by myself. If I needed a better steth because I couldn't hear anything through it I wouldn't wait until the residency to buy it.

If you're saving up for a treat after graduating medical school, it should be more than $200 for a stethoscope. C'mon now.

 

[DrCoffeeBean]

If you're saving up for a treat after graduating medical school, it should be more than $200 for a stethoscope. C'mon now.

Not saving up, just a little something to look forward to, a pat on the back And that little something just happens to be a fancier steth.