Physical Diagnosis Equipment

Dear Class of 2022,

On behalf of American Medical Student Association's chapter at Case Med, welcome you to the Case Med family! We are a diverse group of students who try to represent Case Med's diverse student interests with our six committees ranging from from Global Health to LGBT in Medicine to Student Wellness. You will be hearing from all the committees in the near future and during the activities fair in August.

AMSA is sponsoring our annual Equipment Sale in collaboration with the Medical Store. We have taken feedback from previous classes to ensure that the best quality equipment is available for you guys! For Physical Diagnosis (PD) and the anatomy part of the curriculum, there is a list of required equipment (attached below).

You can order it online (http://www.themedicalstore.biz, see instruction attached below) or via order form. PRE-ORDERS CLOSE JULY 2nd. We will have an equipment fair on at the end of July at the medical school where you will be able to pick it up for free! Alternatively, you can have the equipment delivered to you.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions!

Best,

Sarine Shahmirian - sgs77@case.edu

Class of 2021, CWRU School of Medicine

Q: I would like to see ____ before purchasing it.

A: Good news! The representatives will be bringing extras of everything to the sale so you will be able to see/touch/try out the equipment before ordering. You will still be able to have your stethoscope engraved if you purchase day of.

Below is a list of equipment necessary for the physical diagnosis portion of our curriculum. It is not necessary for you to have this equipment on arrival. In fact, the students will be organizing an equipment fair where you will be able to order your things in a one-stop-shop fashion. The equipment fair will be at the end of July.

You can also get the gross anatomy equipment at the bookstore once you arrive. It is not necessary to arrive with this equipment either.

Physical Diagnosis Equipment Requirements

1. Stethoscope: We suggest getting a very high quality instrument, as they last forever. Both faculty and upperclassmen recommend a cardiology grade stethoscope. The stethoscope of choice by students for the past 10 years has been the Littmann Cardiology III Stethoscope. However, it is worth trying several different brands for comfort but make sure the stethoscope is of a comparable quality.

2. Reflex hammer: The triangular, hatchet-shaped hammer is very forgiving for a beginner, as well as inexpensive. The telescoping reflex hammer is preferred by neurologists, so you can purchase one now or wait until you start neurology in second year. Do not get a device that has a built in needle for testing sensation; these cannot be used in an era of universal skin/body fluid precautions.

3. Tuning fork: Get two: 128Hz for vibration testing and 512Hz for hearing testing.

4. Pocket eye chart with plastic centimeter ruler Pocket pen-light: Any style will do but disposable ones are best since they are easily lost.

5. Otoscope and ophthalmoscope - Diagnostic Kit: Having otoscope and opthalmoscope is essential for practicing eye and ear exam as part of the Physical Diagnosis curriculum. We only require standard otoscope and ophthalmoscope with 3.5v batteries as power source but you may choose to upgrade to more expensive diagnostic sets.

6. Sphygmomanometers or BP cuffs (required): While you will not be able to use your blood pressure cuff in the clinic, purchasing a blood pressure cuff will allow you to practice taking blood pressures at home. They are inexpensive and students often have trouble taking blood pressures since they do not have enough opportunities to practice this essential skill.

Gross Anatomy Equipment Requirements

1. Gloves: 1-2 boxes depending on how often you will go into lab outside of the required sessions.

2. Dissection Kit: You will need two for each dissection group. Your dissection groups will be assigned after classes start.

3. Surgical Scalpel Blades #10: An extra set of 10 blades for when your blades get dull.

4. Safety glasses

5. Scrubs will be provided by the school.