All of these prices were accessed March 1999, and are subject to change without notice. All information contained herein is the opinion of the author and does not reflect the opinions of MS JAMA , JAMA , or the American Medical Association. Shopping for Medical Instruments F irst-year medical students are bombarded with information and advertisements for medical instruments before they even see a patient. Here is a simple guide to getting the best prices on the medical instruments that you will need to begin your medical career. It is also helpful if you are looking to upgrade your equipment, to buy a better stethoscope, or to add a tuning fork to your collection.
Some students also purchase tuning forks.
Below is a list of the best prices for instruments that can be purchased over the Web, followed by a summary of the best deals overall. When buying stethoscopes, most students choose a Littman stethoscope. The company's catalogs and online pages describe the different models and the strengths and weaknesses of each model. If you are unsure about which brand to buy, or just need a stethoscope for basic physical examinations in the first or second year, you may want to consider one of the other less expensive brands. In this case, you may choose to wait until your third year on the wards to see what stethoscopes the residents and attendings use.