With the new academic year approaching, it's time for all you medical students to start buying the medical equipment you’ll need to embark on your studies. It’s a hugely exciting time and making sure you’re prepared with all of your essential kit will help to keep you on track and ready to hit the books!
Here are our 5 must have items to get your medical studies off to a great start.
Stethoscope
Many medical schools will require you to have a stethoscope on day one. Stethoscope makes can vary a great deal, so investing in a good quality one is always a sensible idea.
When you’re shopping for a stethoscope, there’s no substitute for trying out different styles.
Ask to try it on and check if the ear tips sit snugly and comfortably in your ears.
Make sure the ear tips point towards your nose.
Check if the headset is adjustable to ensure the most comfortable and effective ear positioning.
Put the tuneable diaphragm on your (or the shop assistant’s) chest to check you can hear a heartbeat and assess how clear and loud the sound is.
Hold the stethoscope by the headset and check for kinks in the tubing as it hangs - you’re looking for the tubes to hang as straight as possible.
Invest in a brand like Littman that offers spare parts for stethoscopes to keep yours going for years to come.
Choose a great colour!
Knowing that a stethoscope is a must-have item, you need to store it appropriately. Storing by hanging is not always a good idea; you might knock it by accident. Therefore, a stethoscope case is a very vital item having it will prolong the life of your stethoscope.
Your stethoscope might be one of your larger investments so you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t get lost or stolen so you might want to have it engraved with your name and details or buy a stethoscope tag.
Scrubs
Medical scrubs are another must-have if you’ve enrolled in a medical course. Some institutions will require you to wear scrubs to lessons while others will only expect you to wear them during lab or clinical sessions. Either way you’ll need several pairs.
Make sure you know the colour of scrubs you’re required to have before buying. Thankfully these days there’s a range of fits and styles available including unisex scrubs and women’s scrubs for a better fit.
Try to find the softest material you can as you’ll want to be as comfortable as possible if you’re wearing them all day.
Blood Pressure Kit
Also called a sphygmomanometer, you’ll want to make sure you buy a good quality blood pressure kit for your studies.
One of the first things you’re like to learn in medical school is how to take blood pressure and you’ll be regularly tested on this throughout your studies. If you go into general practice it will be one of the most common examinations you’ll perform on your patients. So it’s really important to get yourself a good blood pressure monitor that you can read clearly and that feels substantial on the cuff, bulb and tubing.
Tendon Hammer
A tendon or patella hammer might not be on every essential kit list but they can often be in short supply in clinics so it’s worth making the very small investment to have your own one. You’ll use your tendon hammer in a good number of clinical assessments including lower limb examination, upper limb examination, clinical neurological examination, and any other kind of analysis involving nerves and tendons.
Other must haves
A good first aid book
Comfortable light-weight, washable shoes for clinical environment
A good backpack
Fob Watch - great for use in sterile environments and available in some lovely colours!
Pen torch for examinations
Why not try one of our Medical Student Starter Packs complete with Littman Stethoscope, Tourniquet, Fob Watch and Pen torch!
Need more help? We're always here to help so get in touch today.
For all your Medical and Homecare supplies give us a call at Mediworld.
We have over 40 years experience in medical, surgical, mobility and home health supplies and we're always on hand to chat if you need support or advice and don't forget to read our other great health blogs!
August 2022