What to buy...

[FutureDocDO]

What do we need to buy before heading to medical school? Waiting 'til you're there to decide makes sense but not if you're trying to get good deals off of eBay, Amazon, or other internet sites. Thanks.

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[ShyRem]

I went through all the lists of required materials at each school I've been accepted and each school where I'm on the possible acceptance list. The common items I put on my Christmas wish list that got sent to my family. Even if I get just a couple of those items, it'll be a couple items less for me to get in the fall. I also put on my list some books and items I'd like to have early in the process but that aren't really necessary (like step 1 review books to help me narrow down the necessities of learning in the first two years).

I think it's safe to say you'll need a decent stethoscope, and most places want you to have a reflex hammer. Most schools also have a diagnostic set on their list, but it seems many MS1 and MS2 students say you don't need them. You may need a BP cuff, some sets of scrubs, and a dissecting kit. By searching the school websites I've even found book lists for previous years in addition to recommended/required equipment lists. Have fun!

 

[FutureDocDO]

I went through all the lists of required materials at each school I've been accepted and each school where I'm on the possible acceptance list. The common items I put on my Christmas wish list that got sent to my family. Even if I get just a couple of those items, it'll be a couple items less for me to get in the fall. I also put on my list some books and items I'd like to have early in the process but that aren't really necessary (like step 1 review books to help me narrow down the necessities of learning in the first two years).

I think it's safe to say you'll need a decent stethoscope, and most places want you to have a reflex hammer. Most schools also have a diagnostic set on their list, but it seems many MS1 and MS2 students say you don't need them. You may need a BP cuff, some sets of scrubs, and a dissecting kit. By searching the school websites I've even found book lists for previous years in addition to recommended/required equipment lists. Have fun!

Thanks for the info. I will have to check with their websites again as I don't remember seeing such info.

 

[Megalofyia]

For WVSOM I wouldn't bother getting a BP cuff or dissecting kit. Scrubs are up to you for lab. You can also wear old clothes I believe. Whatever you dont ever want to wear again. I bought an opthalmascope. . . I wish I had gone with the absolute cheapest one I could find or none at all.

For books:
I am very glad I bought First Aid for the USLME I, I have a Nelson's pediatrics book but then I want to go into pediatrics and it's pretty expensive - that's a book I'd only get if your very interested in pediatrics, same with Harrisons and going into Internal medicine. I have a Netter's anatomy, micro made ridiculously simple, Costanza physiology, Lippencott Biochemistry, and vander's renal physiology. Those are the books I've used quite a bit so far. I'm thinking I'm going to get Lippencott's pharmacology too. I'm not too sure on that one yet; if I can keep borrowing copies then I wont.

I'm PBL and if I were SBL that list would be completely different. Especially as they get a lot of their stuff from their class notes.

 

[Taus]

In my opinion....your best bet may be to try and get a hold of some 2nd year students at your future school (the schools student affairs office/friends/admissions people/whoever may have some email addresses) and ask them what they thought was absolutely necessary....every school is different...

A second plan....and one that was extremely helpful to me.....was to look and post in the SDN thread dedicated to your school in the Osteopathic school classes section of the DO forum.

 

[cad_15]

I attend KCUMB (Class of 2008) and I will actually ask you not to buy anything untill you get to school and figure out what is important. However, if you want to put stuffs on your gift list, here are some suggestions:

1- A good anatomy atlas, many people use Netter because it has so many plates, I personaly liked grant because in addition to the plates you have the text that talks about what you are looking at.
2- Pathologic Basis of Diseases AKA Big Robbin. You will need it if you want to learn medicine and not study it.
3- Rapid Review Pathology, by Edward Goljan
4- Board Review Series (BRS) Physiology or better, buy the latest edition of the physiology book written by Linda Costanzo (same author of BRS physiology)
5- First Aid will be good to have at the begining of the school year. The new edition comes out every December so if you get one now as a gift it will not hurt (mine is 3 years old and I figured that it is still pretty current)
6-Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple
7-The Dx Kit will be helpful if you come to KCUMB because we use it extensively our second year.

The biggest thing I have to say is that if you have to buy these books now, DO NOT DO IT because you can always buy them from 2nd year students or ebay or whereever for a cheaper price. Enjoy the remaining of the year without worrying about medschool because it is going to be there soon enough and you will miss the life you have now.....Just my 2 cents

 

[Taus]

ebay, half.com, and amazon were unbelievable for buying books really cheaply...

 

[strawberryfield]

All Heart's Website has tons of cheap stuff-- Littmann Stethoscopes are the cheapest I've seen anywhere (aside from ebay, but that's not guaranteed always!), I think around $120 for a Cardiology III (good for adults and peds). I had to buy one for work, but decided on getting a nicer one since I'd need one for med school anyhow. They also have scrub sets for $9.99 when you buy two (includes both top and bottom). They are the cheapest I have found, and the quality is not bad either!

 

[docmd2010]

buy a brain that will allow you to not study at all in med school and that will rock the boards.

 

[Megalofyia]

2- Pathologic Basis of Diseases AKA Big Robbin. You will need it if you want to learn medicine and not study it.

This is a very good book. I had debated putting it up but then decided not to because it's not a book I plan on buying. There are several copies in our library and many people who own copies so I tend to just borrow them instead.
However if you like to write and take notes in books, or just like to own books, this book is a good one to buy or ask for as a gift.

 

[mcandy]

Worry about this stuff a few weeks before school....right now if I were you and had it do to all over again...I would buy a plane ticket somewhere cool and dissapear! When I came back I would read books for fun, sit in the coffee shop and read the paper, go hiking....you get the idea. You will kick yourself for worrying about dumb stuff during your last few moments of freedom, really! Your life will suck soon enough.

 

[Megalofyia]

Worry about this stuff a few weeks before school....right now if I were you and had it do to all over again...I would buy a plane ticket somewhere cool and dissapear! When I came back I would read books for fun, sit in the coffee shop and read the paper, go hiking....you get the idea. You will kick yourself for worrying about dumb stuff during your last few moments of freedom, really! Your life will suck soon enough.

Easier said than done

 

[WestcoastMedicine]

Ask your school first!!!!!!!!!!!!! PCOM for example gives you an awesome stethoscope and a white coat, not all schools do, but you don't know if you don't ask them. Also at PCOM, we are required to have the diagnostic kit and must have it within the first month because we already have patients and H&P Labs, but again all schools require different specs. I personally buy my books online from barnes and nobles. I paid $25 for a membership and get 10% off all my books, plus its free shipping. I am in the second trimester and have spent about 800 on books so far, you can do the math and see if its worth it for you, but just a suggestion.

 

[DOctorJay]

I suggest you wait as well, at SOM for example we get this huge list of "required" texts and if you were to actually buy everything you'd be spending an unbelievable amount of cash. Aside from that your senior students will tell you what books you really do need.

There may be students willing to hand down books, sell them real cheap, and we had class fundraisers to purchase diagnostic kits/stethoscopes and got them cheaper than through all hearts.

It's good to get an idea what you may need but I wouldnt' start buying too much yet (but xmas gifts are cool).

Lastly, don't forget to save your receipts for anything "required" and try to use that when income taxes come around as a deduction (assuming you're independent).

-J

 

[ShyRem]

Also if you're looking for cheap books - Walmart.com often has AWESOME deals on books, and they had the best price on almost all my UG books. They do have a really great selection of medical school texts as well - worth checking them out.

 

[Old_Mil]

...doesn't matter if its your required text or not; it shall save your butt in Anatomy.

 

[FutureDocDO]

Thanks everyone for your insightful replies. I think I will wait to buy everything except for a Littmann Cardiolody III stethoscope and a good laptop.

 

[beastmaster]

My tip for all of you. DO NOT BUY ANY BOOKS.

I won't bother explaining why, but if you heed this advice you will thank me later.

 

[OSUdoc08]

What do we need to buy before heading to medical school? Waiting 'til you're there to decide makes sense but not if you're trying to get good deals off of eBay, Amazon, or other internet sites. Thanks.

These deals will still exist after school begins. Don't buy anything until you find out what you need from other students and staff during orientation week.

 

[TheFish005]

I would even wait on the stethoscope. I did buy my littman cardio III a few months before starting only to find out that the littman rep was on campus for the first 2 weeks of school giving fantastic deals... the price he was offering to students was litterally half what i paid for it. the same goes for all diagnostic equipment; the big companies *may* have reps that come to campus and hang out in the bookstore at the beginning of each semester trying to get your business by giving good deals (and they are pretty good deals). that's how it goes at COMP, i obviously can't say for other schools, but i would assume that reps frequent most med schools.

 

[FutureDocDO]

I would even wait on the stethoscope. I did buy my littman cardio III a few months before starting only to find out that the littman rep was on campus for the first 2 weeks of school giving fantastic deals... the price he was offering to students was litterally half what i paid for it. the same goes for all diagnostic equipment; the big companies *may* have reps that come to campus and hang out in the bookstore at the beginning of each semester trying to get your business by giving good deals (and they are pretty good deals). that's how it goes at COMP, i obviously can't say for other schools, but i would assume that reps frequent most med schools.

I forgot about that! I suppose I will wait on medical supplies as well. Thanks everyone.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

If you join the AOA, Netters is free so you can wait on that but do get it;
Dead body book - if you find yourself hating lab, get this book. Otherwise, you won't need it. I hear Lipponcotts is good and I bought it for biochem but I have yet to crack it open and my 2nd out of 3 exams is tomorrow. The notes are plenty to keep you busy and seem to be sufficient. I would wait on everything else. If you are lost, just run to the bookstore and buy the book. Otherwise, just use notes. oops, I have an exam covering 6 subjects tomorrow and shouldn't be on SDN

 

[notnarcsDO]

Just a suggestion...Alibris.com has amazing deals on books. Some are practically new, but even the used ones are in great shape. Very quick delivery as well.

 

[RD330]

Worry about this stuff a few weeks before school....right now if I were you and had it do to all over again...I would buy a plane ticket somewhere cool and dissapear! When I came back I would read books for fun, sit in the coffee shop and read the paper, go hiking....you get the idea. You will kick yourself for worrying about dumb stuff during your last few moments of freedom, really! Your life will suck soon enough.

Good Idea! My husband and I are going backpacking in Europe for a couple of weeks in Spring. Then we can spend the next 8 years of our lives pretending that medical school is some form of vacation.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Good Idea! My husband and I are going backpacking in Europe for a couple of weeks in Spring. Then we can spend the next 8 years of our lives pretending that medical school is some form of vacation.

Wow I've never heard of a medical school that lasts 8 years.

Is that the program for applicants with trisomy 21? Don't you worry about the early onset of Alzheimer's affecting your memorization?

 

[djnels01]

Wow I've never heard of a medical school that lasts 8 years.

Is that the program for applicants with trisomy 21? Don't you worry about the early onset of Alzheimer's affecting your memorization?

 

[RD330]

Wow I've never heard of a medical school that lasts 8 years.

Is that the program for applicants with trisomy 21? Don't you worry about the early onset of Alzheimer's affecting your memorization?

wait a minute...are you serious? Thank you for letting me know.

 

[Canuck99]

Wow I've never heard of a medical school that lasts 8 years.

Is that the program for applicants with trisomy 21? Don't you worry about the early onset of Alzheimer's affecting your memorization?

I am sure all the people who have family with one of those terribly debilitating and devestating diseases really appreciates your attempt at a joke. Good one buddy.

 

[PlasticMan]

I know of you saying enjoy the time off, but would it also be a good idea to get some of these books and start studying now so that the first semester won't be as hard on new students? Especially, if we're done with undergrad already?

 

[OSUdoc08]

I am sure all the people who have family with one of those terribly debilitating and devestating diseases really appreciates your attempt at a joke. Good one buddy.

Ironically, you don't even know what I'm talking about. Pick up a pathology book, and don't take life so seriously.

I was talking about a genetic disorder----not a debilitating disease.

 

[Canuck99]

Ironically, you don't even know what I'm talking about. Pick up a pathology book, and don't take life so seriously.

I was talking about a genetic disorder----not a debilitating disease.

What is even more ironic is that you are a second year medical student and you dont even know that Alzheimer's is in fact a disease, and even more sad if you do not think that its a debilitating one. Why dont you get back to studying that pathology.

 

[OSUdoc08]

What is even more ironic is that you are a second year medical student and you dont even know that Alzheimer's is in fact a disease, and even more sad if you do not think that its a debilitating one. Why dont you get back to studying that pathology.

What you don't know is the following:

I was talking about Down's Sydrome. Not Alzheimer's disease.

Down's Sydrome presents with Alzhemier's around the 40th decade of life.

The subject of the discussion was Down's---not Alzheimer's. Get a life.

 

[RD330]

I know of you saying enjoy the time off, but would it also be a good idea to get some of these books and start studying now so that the first semester won't be as hard on new students? Especially, if we're done with undergrad already?

I agree. There are some books that I'm just excited to read while I wait. Like "EKG Interpretation." That bright orange book! I've been reading through that and I've heard that almost all med schools require their students to read it.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I agree. There are some books that I'm just excited to read while I wait. Like "EKG Interpretation." That bright orange book! I've been reading through that and I've heard that almost all med schools require their students to read it.

Yes, it is a required book. I never read it, since it doesnt give anything other than the basics. It was such a small portion of what we needed to know anyway.

You should read a book about various diseases---some sort of pathophysiology book.

 

[Canuck99]

What you don't know is the following:

I was talking about Down's Sydrome. Not Alzheimer's disease.

Down's Sydrome presents with Alzhemier's around the 40th decade of life.

The subject of the discussion was Down's---not Alzheimer's. Get a life.

I guess that your intelligence is above and beyond us poor pre-med students. I give up, you were right and I was so so wrong. Do you take that bedside manner with you into your clinicals?

 

[OSUdoc08]

I guess that your intelligence is above and beyond us poor pre-med students. I give up, you were right and I was so so wrong. Do you take that bedside manner with you into your clinicals?

I don't have to deal with argumentative & bitter pre-meds during clinicals.

You drawing attention to my comments in a negative way hasn't been helpful, but thanks anyway.

It was supposed to be a joke. Move on.

Good luck to you.

 

[Canuck99]

I don't have to deal with argumentative & bitter pre-meds during clinicals.

You drawing attention to my comments in a negative way hasn't been helpful, but thanks anyway.

It was supposed to be a joke. Move on.

Good luck to you.

Maybe if you had said "mongoloid" instead of down sydrome, we all would have understood your "joke." It would have better fit your tasteless humor.

And good luck to you sir.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Maybe if you had said "mongoloid" instead of down sydrome, we all would have understood your "joke." It would have better fit your tasteless humor.

And good luck to you sir.

Mongoloid

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The term Mongoloid is most used in discussions of human prehistory and in the forensic analysis of human remains. The suffix -oid indicates "a similarity, not necessarily exact, to something else". Mongoloid, therefore, may not automatically imply earlier terms such as Mongolian race or Asiatic - whatever the parameters for their definitions may be - and much less the nationality Mongolian.

As a form of classification, Mongoloid includes peoples of North Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, parts of Central Asia and South Asia, and, arguably by extension, people from Pacific Oceania, the Americas and Greenland. Some populations of Northern Europe and Eastern Europe have Mongoloid ancestry as well. Some definitions do not include Native Americans.

 

[Canuck99]

Mongoloid

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The term Mongoloid is most used in discussions of human prehistory and in the forensic analysis of human remains. The suffix -oid indicates "a similarity, not necessarily exact, to something else". Mongoloid, therefore, may not automatically imply earlier terms such as Mongolian race or Asiatic - whatever the parameters for their definitions may be - and much less the nationality Mongolian.

As a form of classification, Mongoloid includes peoples of North Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, parts of Central Asia and South Asia, and, arguably by extension, people from Pacific Oceania, the Americas and Greenland. Some populations of Northern Europe and Eastern Europe have Mongoloid ancestry as well. Some definitions do not include Native Americans.

You almost had it. Good try though.

"Where does the term 'Down's syndrome' originate?

In 1866, an essay was published in England by a physician named John Langdon Down. In it he described a set of children with common physical features who were distinct from other children with mental ******ation whom he had observed through his work as the Superintendent of a home for mentally ******ed children in Surrey.

Down referred to these children as 'Mongoloids' and for many years Down’s syndrome children were actually called mongols. He based the mongoloid name on his own notion that the children he was describing looked like people from Mongolia, who were believed at the time to have an arrested development."

Look, you learn something new everday.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

This thread quickly deteriorated from the OP's what to buy before med school... no need for insults. Thread closed.