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Old 01-28-2015, 06:09 AM   #8
PropertyofBuMed
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Quote:
Originally Posted by notjustaUSNwife View Post
Everyone says corps school stethescopes suck. I can hear accurate breath sounds with a $5 disposable stethescope. There is no reason to buy a Littmann Cardiology III...unless you're out there looking for heart murmurs...which you won't be. As a new corpsman you'll be doing blood pressures and listening to lung sounds at the most. I was a civilian RT before I became and AD one. I've had a Littmann Classic (much better price for someone making approximately $1500 a month) for the 5 years I've been practicing. My husband carried a Littmann classic in combat as well as did one of the RT's I work with now. The instructor that told me to buy a Littmann Classic has been using that same stethescope for God knows how long...but by all means waste money on an expensive stethescope that will probably get lost or stolen.
As stated you have to be passionate about medicine.

I listen for heart murmurs every day, not because I HAVE to as a corpsman, but because I'm always interested in learning and being as involved in every case as possible.

I used to have the same mindset, why get a nice stethoscope when I can hear breath sounds just fine? Till I missed LLL pneumonia in a pediatric patient, then I had a change of heart.

Of course a well trained ear is always the best tool available, but a decent stethoscope certainly doesn't hurt. You are absolutely correct in recommending the classic, which meets a corpsman's needs well. Fortunately as stated many clinics will provide a classic to the corpsman, for their own use or to share, so I wouldn't spend money on it if its going to be free. My department for example has enough littman classics to actually ISSUE everyone in the clinic one, no one has to share one, and there are still a few left in supply in case any go missing.

That's my justification for recommending a better one, because getting a classic or cheaper would be a waste without knowing what you're gonna get in the fleet. Either go big is corps school, or wait until you see the setup at your duty station before you make the decision.
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