Useful tools?

[walpk]

Hi, folks

I'll be an MS-I this fall, but I'm shopping on ebay for things I'll need during rotations while I still have a salary. What do you guys typically carry, aside from your stethoscope? Scissors? Pen light? (I'll try not to open the PDA discussion again.)

Thanks, everybody, ahead.

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[rubyness]

Just a few things off the top of my head-- (not all are clinical instruments, but I am listing things we had to buy that were expensive and that I hadn't thought of)

1st and 2nd years:
-microscope ($300-600)
-lab coat for micro lab
-scrubs for anatomy lab
-latex gloves ($25+) for anatomy lab
-instrument set for anatomy

Clinical stuff:
-penlight
-stethoscope
-extra white coats
-tuning fork
-eye chart
-Queen Anne hammer
-tongue depressors
-tape measure


Things that they made us buy that were expensive that you may or may not use:
-Welch Allyn opthalmoscope/otoscope ($300-400!!)
-sphygmomonaomoroammoottterrr thingamygigy (for BP)

This is not a complete list, just some stuff I thought of.

 

[ERMudPhud]

Each school is probably a little different on what you had to buy. For example we didn't have to buy microscopes or BP cuffs. For most of the rest of the list upper level students who were no longer using certain thing sold them to incoming students at steep discounts--some of the dissection kits had probably been making the rounds since Vesalius

 

[docB]

My med school provided a microscope but I rented one so I could have one at home too. It was pretty cheap (~$60 for a semester) and was worth it.

 

[Entei]

You have to buy your own gloves for anatomy lab?

 

[rubyness]

Oh, I thought of another thing... if you don't have one already, now (while you have a job) is a good time to get a car. It's not so easy once you're living off loans.

And yes, we had to buy our own gloves!! (so stupid!)

 

[souljah1]

we didn't need to buy a microscope. they were provided in the lab. we chipped in and bought nitrile gloves for anatomy. wound up costing about 6 bucks/box. got a stethoscope, BP cuff, penlight, vibration fork, tuning fork, and reflect hammer for my physical exam classes and my preceptorships. i didn't feel like dropping the cash for an oto/opthalmascope. a pair of scrubbs for the anatomy lab is definitely a helpful thing to have as well. I wouldn't worry too much about buying a lot of stuff before you start. you'll have plenty of time for that.

good luck!

 

[walpk]

Thanks, everybody, for your replies!

 

[madcadaver]

I definitely understand the obsessive-compulsive desire to purchase stuff before you start school. But I would suggest putting some money aside, and waiting to see what your school requires and what your classmates are buying. You don't want to miss out on volume buys of scrubs, lab coats, gloves, oto/optho scopes, PDAs, etc that some industrious member of your class may set up.

Also don't buy things that you MAY not need just because you've got extra money-- bank it! I bought an expensive ot/optho scope set in first year and have hardly used it since... but boy do I wish I had that $400 banked to help out with ERAS and interview costs.

Best of luck... MC