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1. rule 1, buy a med bag that doesn't look like a med bag.
2. stethoscope (get the ordinary littman or any brand that works)
*no need to buy the expensive kind, just a waste of money trust me*
3. BP app - get the best kind (aneroid of course unless you want the heavier mercury type although its the gold standard), why the best kind? you'll use it sooooooo often, you just need one that last long.
4. thermometer (cheap 10 bucks a piece)
5. tape measure (instant roll-back kind - bambang has a lot for only php20.00)
6. Bates physical exam mini hand book (very usefull for beginners-around 200.00)
7. mini-market stuff:
a. bottle with coffee granules inside (test the senses)
b. safety pin (for testing pain sensation)
c. cotton (test light touch)
D. reflex hammer (for instant tendon reflexes
e. penlight (white light is very useful for looking at RED tonsils/throat. ordinary yellow light don't work as well)
8. the following are very very optional and not a must buy unless you're going to specialize in the required courses:
a. diagnostic set (opthalmoscope and otoscope)
*extremely expensive, buy one if you have $$$ but otherwise you can just borrow from someone else, or buy the cheap fragile-looking brand. why? because you don't need to get into soo much detail when using them for 2nd year and clerkship. like i said unless you're going to specialize in optha or ENT, so get the ordinary cheap ones(they work just as well)
b. tuning fork - quite expensive but hardly used(i never used one during my stay in UST.
The best tools of all for diagnosing :
>your history taking skills and building patient rapport.
goodluck
