Back to Medical School-Medical Tools, Equipment and Supplies You Will Need

For those lucky to have high enough grades, scholarships, savings, and MCAT scores, you are headed off to the school of your choice or maybe your second choice. Some of you will be going back for your second, third or forth year. In any case, you will be embarking on a journey with many ups and downs, blood and guts, strange diagnosis's, life and death situations.

Not only will you be doing a lot of reading, you will eventually have the honor to examine people. Most likely you will need more than just a pen and pencil. You will need the following supplies to make sure you do a proper examination in order to correctly diagnose and cure the patient.

First and foremost, prior to looking at a patient, you would want to take universal precautions so that you don't pick something up from an unassuming patient. From head to toe, you may need the following,

• Goggles or a Face shield - to protect your eyes from splashing bodily fluids like blood
• Facemask - to filter the air before it enters your lungs and also shield you from any bodily fluids
• CPR Do-do you really want to go mouth to mouth with a stranger
• Doctor's Jacket-so you look professional
• Gowns-to protect your clothing, especially the Doctor's jacket
• Gloves-to protect your hands, better off with Nitrile because some people are allergic to latex
• Shoe Covers-to keep the floor clean as well as your shoes

Now that you are taking care of the Universal Precautions, you are ready to make your rounds and perform examinations. Most likely you will need a,

• Stethoscope-to listen to any skipping heartbeats or listen for raspy breathing sounds
• Thermometer-to see if the patient has a fever for you or an infection burning them up
• Penlight-to shine light on the issue, sometimes to dilate the pupils or see the tonsils better
• Otoscope-to make it easier to look at the ear canal and the wax buildup
• Ophthalmoscope-so you can look at the back of the eyeball
• Pocket Eye chart-to quickly check to see if the patient can clearly see, also known as the Rosenbaum Pocket Eye Vision Screener
• Sphygmanometer-to take blood pressure the manual way.
• Reflex Hammer-to check to for reflexes
• Scissors-to cut bandages and sometimes rings
• Batteries-to power your thermometer, penlight, otoscope, or ophthalmoscope

After a hard day at the Hospital, you head back to the library or dorm room to study some more with a pot of coffee, a 5 Hour Energy Shot, or a Shakeology Smoothie. You study with some,

• Body Part Models - plastic models for you to become familiar with the organs
• Anatomical Charts-maps of the entire body, so you can connect the parts
• Books-to help you study and memorize
• Lumbar cushion-to support your back after hours of sitting at the desk

Now you need some rest,

• Bedbug Encasement-to keep those critters at bay
• Pillow-so your noggin is comfortable as it falls asleep
• Egg Crate-to make the unconfortable dorm mattress more comfortable
• Air Purifier-so you can provide clean air to your lungs
• Oskri Bar-an all natural snack bar to keep you running on all cylinders

Thank you for taking on a profession that helps so many! For more information please visit cwimedical.com