Welch Allyn Diagnostic Kit

[DPT2MD]

How many of you MD students purchased this before starting your first year because you were told it was required only to find you spent $600 for a flashlight you hardly ever use?

How many bought it and feel like it was worth it?

Should I buy it? The faculty say we need it, but the upperclassmen say dont waste your money?

Thoughts?

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[Haemulon]

How many of you MD students purchased this before starting your first year because you were told it was required only to find you spent $600 for a flashlight you hardly ever use?

How many bought it and feel like it was worth it?

Should I buy it? The faculty say we need it, but the upperclassmen say dont waste your money?

Thoughts?

I am interested in this question as well. I want to get an opthalmoscope / otoscope to practice with, and use at home at times too.

 

[JeffLebowski]

My advice is to buy it.

Get the Welch Allyn Pocketscope Set. You never know if/when you'll be on a rotation or preceptorship or medical mission or informal setting or practice setting where you'll need it. Believe me, as much as people claim there are, there are not oto/ophthalmo's in every patient room. Many times, and I would say most of the time, you won't have to carry your own, but it's nice to have the peace of mind that you have it if you need it. A similar topic was brought up in the "stethoscope" thread and I'll repeat what I said there - you're going to be a doctor for 30+ years, and you'll likely never have to buy an oto/ophthalmo set ever again. Just spend a few more bucks, buy it this once, know how to use it, and hang on to it in case you need it. I don't understand the recent groundswell of resistance to buying the diagnostic tools necessary to be a physician.

 

[OncoCaP]

The answer is no; don't do it. Buy inexpensive pocket-size equipment on Ebay, Amazon or whatever. Don't waste your money. You won't be wondering when you need to expensive stuff (not now). The only thing spending a little extra money on is the steth (even that's open to interpretation). In the meantime, you'll be happy you got what you needed for maybe $150-200; the equipment takes plain batteries you can buy anywhere; and it is more convenient and less bulky. Frequently you may be able to use someone else's equipment anyway (the clinic's).

 

[Monica Lewinsky]

I don't understand the recent groundswell of resistance to buying the diagnostic tools necessary to be a physician.

Some physicians never need to look into the eyes and ears of their patients. Some never even see patients. Your advice is ungrounded and misleading.

 

[DrBowtie]

The answer is no; don't do it. Buy inexpensive pocket-size equipment on Ebay, Amazon or whatever. Don't waste your money. You won't be wondering when you need to expensive stuff (not now). The only thing spending a little extra money on is the steth (even that's open to interpretation). In the meantime, you'll be happy you got what you needed for maybe $150-200; the equipment takes plain batteries you can buy anywhere; and it is more convenient and less bulky. Frequently you may be able to use someone else's equipment anyway (the clinic's).

Link to a suggested model?

 

[Johnny_D]

I have not bought one yet. It would have been nice for 1st year, since we learned the entire physical exam, but I got along without it.

I am going to buy one before 2nd year starts so I can have it to continue practicing. I will also use it at home with my kids.

 

[samenewme]

Stay away from the ones on the Dr. Mom site. The otoscope is okay, but their opthalmoscope is junk. The lens quality is poor and the light is not very good, either. The magnification settings wheel is backwards. Only good to have to show up at a required exam with one in hand.

I have heard better things about the Reister, but haven't tried it.

 

[diosa428]

I bought the Welch Allyn Pocketscope set on Ebay for like $150. It's ok. You can definitely see more with the regular sized set, but I needed it on a rotation exactly 0 times (ok, that's a lie. ONCE in my entire year of rotations my resident asked if I had one and I didn't have it with me so we used the other student's kit). I used it a few times during our physical diagnosis/exam week and that was it. The only reason I even bothered buying one was because we were told that we were REQUIRED to have one (although retrospectively I could have always borrowed someone else's). I would save your money. *Most* hospital rooms have them. And regardless, you're not going to carry around the huge things because you'll have enough crap in your coat. So I vote for pocketscope if you're going to buy one at all. And if you do get one, get it used from an upperclassmen or off ebay or something.

 

[TMP-SMX]

I just bought a new 92821 (Welch Allyn Pocketscope) from ebay for 155.

"welch allyn" pocket -adc -stethoscope -jr -junior -"dr mom"

Pop that into a search in ebay and wait until you find a good set for sale. Just make sure it is set 92821 and don't pay more than about $180. Beware the pocketscope jr set as it is also on ebay and some sellers are selling it and not calling it the jr. The jr is actually worth a lot less than the pocketscope.

 

[Blesbok]

I got a cheapass one from an albuterol conference that I carry in my pocket. Not once has anyone used their super expensive LiIon one and found anything different. Save your money, get the cheapest one possible, and use the one in the room if there is one.

 

[psipsina]

I'd say listen to your upperclassmen. In my school's hospital system there are some locations where they don't have them on the walls, usually only 1 or 2 available for the floor, so we are actually expected to bring our own. I bought mine because upperclassmen said that you actually needed it, not just to have it.

 

[DPT2MD]

good to hear that others have gone with the pocket set, I was actually leaning that way as long as you can see what you need to see with them.

 

[DoctorPardi]

How many of you MD students purchased this before starting your first year because you were told it was required only to find you spent $600 for a flashlight you hardly ever use?

How many bought it and feel like it was worth it?

Should I buy it? The faculty say we need it, but the upperclassmen say dont waste your money?

Thoughts?

This is the same situation with my school. They gave us a 10 minute lecture on the fact that we must buy all the equipment and at the same time upperclassmen are saying we don't need it. The faculty even said "upperclassmen may tell you that you don't need it but you do" lol.

We have to start using all this stuff 2nd semester of first year so I guess in a few months I'll figure it out.

 

[EMH]

Here's the best answer out there. Ask a few upperclassmen at your school. Even at my school, opinions vary. If you plan on going primary care, it's a good idea. I've also been told if you do a rotation with Dr. ****** you must have one or barrow one. Anyhow if you buy a diagnostic kit and wind up not needing it you can sell it to a incoming freshman.

BTW: I have a 97200-MC kit for sale. $410. PM if interested. (I plan to buy a pan optic kit with the lithium ion bat when I sell this one).

 

[noht]

any suggestions on good bags that carry all your equipment?

 

[Blesbok]

any suggestions on good bags that carry all your equipment?

I have this white one that works perfectly. It has sleeves too, so it is convenient to put it on your back when you don't feel like carrying it.


Don't be the person that carries around a bag. Just don't be that person.

 

[Blesbok]

Here's the best answer out there. Ask a few upperclassmen at your school. Even at my school, opinions vary. If you plan on going primary care, it's a good idea. I've also been told if you do a rotation with Dr. ****** you must have one or barrow one. Anyhow if you buy a diagnostic kit and wind up not needing it you can sell it to a incoming freshman.

BTW: I have a 97200-MC kit for sale. $410. PM if interested. (I plan to buy a pan optic kit with the lithium ion bat when I sell this one).

You are probably going to have a hard time selling it for $50 off retail. People here sell their kits all the time for half retail.

 

[kdburton]

How many of you MD students purchased this before starting your first year because you were told it was required only to find you spent $600 for a flashlight you hardly ever use?

How many bought it and feel like it was worth it?

Should I buy it? The faculty say we need it, but the upperclassmen say dont waste your money?

Thoughts?

I bought the whole kit and found out that I could have easily gotten by with just a stethoscope. My preceptor was in an ER, so I never needed my own equipment there. We also took our clinical test in rooms that had everything other than stethoscopes for the most part. I know some people who needed their own equipment at preceptor, but thats about it.

 

[EMH]

You are probably going to have a hard time selling it for $50 off retail. People here sell their kits all the time for half retail.

Especially after that. I'm pretty sure I can sell it locally for not much less than that. And when selling something, you always ask more than you want for it, cause the first thing someone who is interested in it is going to do is offer you less for it.

 

[SpinnerOfTruth]

At my school, they gave us a "lesson" on medical equipment. It turned out that they blind sided us with a nice sales pitch. I've worked in sales so I know that some faculty member or the school was making quite a bit of commission letting Welch Allyn come in. They said they were giving us a deal but everything was cheaper online. Too bad we had to buy it because they made the crap required. I know for a fact Welch Allyn is giving schools kick backs, and by fact I mean I have no evidence, but you can just tell.

Just buy a stethoscope.

 

[EMH]

At my school, they gave us a "lesson" on medical equipment. It turned out that they blind sided us with a nice sales pitch. I've worked in sales so I know that some faculty member or the school was making quite a bit of commission letting Welch Allyn come in. They said they were giving us a deal but everything was cheaper online. Too bad we had to buy it because they made the crap required. I know for a fact Welch Allyn is giving schools kick backs, and by fact I mean I have no evidence, but you can just tell.

Just buy a stethoscope.

If your school's bookstore is owned by your school (as mine is), then it's not a kickback, it's profit. As far as the faculty that was giving the guy the opportunity to sell to you, maybe. You can call up one of the web equipment sellers and they'll set you up a 'referral' program where you can pass around an order form to your classmates.