Extra stuff to buy for medical school?

Scroll to see replies

Having said that which one is "better"? Littman Traditional or Littman Cardiology III? Both of them are reccommended for medical students.

Based on their descriptions they seem to be essentially the same product. They're both rated 9/10 on the Littman scale, the only difference being that the Cardiology III by default has two diaphragms, while the Traditional has a diaphragm and bell.

Since the 2nd diaphragm in the Cardiology III can be easily converted to a bell using included parts, and it's much more well known, I'd go with it. At the very least if you end up not using it it'd be easier to sell.

Reply 21

digitalis

Original post by No Future

I thought the cardiology one was only necessary if you were doing cardiology? :s

No, Cardiology steths are not just for cardiology...they are *significantly* better in terms of picking things up. I blame the double lumened tube. Having said that, anything would be good for a fresher...a glass turned on its side pressed to your ear would be equally useful.

Reply 22

No Future

Original post by digitalis

hmm, long time no see :wink:

Reply 23

Glia

Original post by digitalis

No...

Digitalis, as a current med student you may know this already. How bad is it to have a pretty decent stethoscope while most people have a SE II?

It's just that I have the opportunity to buy a Welch Allyn Elite for about 10 pounds more than a SE II. I'll probably purchase it, but should I expect an anti-"gunner" attitude? or does no one care?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 24

digitalis

Original post by Glia

Do it.

Reply 25

purplefrog

Original post by hoonosewot

Wow, so do you not have any sustained patient contact or really need to know any clinical skills until 4th year at UCL?

We have quite a few sessions where patient visitors come in and we chat to them in small groups, or go out in pairs to community placements and practice just talking to them (open/closed questions, introductions etc., basic history taking and some other communication skills, we've also done chest and abdo exams on patients this year and I think we do some sort of neuro and visual exam next year) but they aren't practically examined until year 4 onwards. In the papers however, they check to see if we've got the basics covered such as asking us for the 3rd step in handwashing, which organs are normally dull to percussion, when might closed questions help etc.

But compared to other medical schools, we're still quite old school with little regular patient contact - I know places like HYMS have patient contact every week or so. We've have it around 3-4 times a term but have 3.5 hours of small group PDS sessions each week at our teaching hospitals.

Reply 26

digitalis

Original post by purplefrog

such as asking us for the 3rd step in handwashing, when might closed questions help etc. .

What a bloody waste of time.

Reply 27

purplefrog

Original post by digitalis

What a bloody waste of time.

Easy marks :cool:

Reply 28

nexttime

Original post by hoonosewot

Wow, so do you not have any sustained patient contact or really need to know any clinical skills until 4th year at UCL?

That's a pre-clinical/clinical divide means :wink:

Reply 29

hoonosewot

Original post by nexttime

That's a pre-clinical/clinical divide means :wink:

Still, seems like a long time to go without any solid patient contact to me.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 30

digitalis

Original post by hoonosewot

Still, seems like a long time to go without any solid patient contact to me.

'Solid' patient contact starts when you are full time, on the wards, as a clinical medical student. All this soft stuff, regardless of whether or not your med school claims no preclinical divide etc, doesn't really count IMO. Sure as hell a reg/consultant will not treat a 1st year the same as a 4th year.

Reply 31

InArduisFouette

Original post by diurno

Thanks everyone!
I asked on their facebook page and they said a Classic II S.E sthethoscope should be fine, but I might go for the Cardiology III just because I don't see the point in a few years having to buy a different one. Doubt they are going to change that much anytime soon so might as well pay a bit more but get a better product.

Having said that which one is "better"? Littman Traditional or Littman Cardiology III? Both of them are reccommended for medical students.

Also when do we get invited to the BMA? During Freshers?

there is little or no point in buying a cardiology Stethoscope unless and until you become a cardiology 'proper' Reg

Reply 32

Helenia

Original post by hoonosewot

Still, seems like a long time to go without any solid patient contact to me.

It is. But does it matter in the end?

Reply 33

hoonosewot

Original post by Helenia

It is. But does it matter in the end?

Probably not, i just think it would peeve me off if i was a student, that's why it caught my attention. Each to his own though.

Reply 34

xXxBaby-BooxXx

Original post by digitalis

Just out of interest, apart from one module in year 5 where we shadow FY1s in preparation for our new jobs, I am never in the hospital for more than 4 weeks a module (so 12 weeks a year). And that's in all years. So I'm never on the ward "full-time". So when am I a clinical medical student? :holmes:

Reply 35

username204576

I've been told that you can normally get discount vouchers for stethescopes during Freshers week, so to hold on until then!

Also, you could then ask second years which ones they have found best :smile:

Reply 36

nexttime

Original post by hoonosewot

Probably not, i just think it would peeve me off if i was a student, that's why it caught my attention. Each to his own though.

It would peeve me off being sent to a hospital with no knowledge to work with. Personal preference and all that.

Reply 37

digitalis

Original post by xXxBaby-BooxXx

When you are considered one by your team. Ask a consultant if he thinks a first year is a clinical medical student without loading the question and see what he says.

It is about a 'medical maturity' level. OK, so you spend time on the wards in first year. But do you really know anything then? Or when the team is talking about a patient with an occluded DES in the circumflex or the benefits of clopidogrel vs a GpIIb/IIIa inhibitor in the angio suite you are sitting there scratching your head or nodding along when you don't have a clue?

I would say a clinical medical student is someone who has developed a solid understanding of preclinical science and is now able to apply that to a full time clinical setting as an apprentice. Claiming a first year is a clinical medical student just because he can 'take a history' based on a pre-memorised set of questions without understanding the significance of them, or 'examine an abdomen', for example, is just wrong.

Reply 38

Hippokrates

In the first year I would say just growing as a personal in confidence and getting used to speaking to patients is useful even if you don't understand the clinical side.

Reply 39

hoonosewot

Original post by nexttime

It would peeve me off being sent to a hospital with no knowledge to work with. Personal preference and all that.

If you've got no knowledge by 3rd year, then i worry for you.

I just think it makes more sense for medical students to be exposed to their future working environment and encounters with patients as early as possible. I know i've learnt 10x more in the clinical environment than i ever did in a lecture.

I think that opinion's a valid one, no need to get snippy about it.