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List of items to start PA school


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I was hoping students or faculty could provide me with an idea of what items are typically required to start PA school, and if the PA school makes suggestions as to which to purchase.

 

For example otoscope, ophthalmoscope, stethoscope, scrubs, jacket, computer lap top ect.

 

As a follow up question, if you were a student starting school today and had the option of a $400 "buy in" for each student to have a shared ultrasound machine and the teaching to learn 12 applications while still in school, would you do it?

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Otoscope/ophthalmoscope are almost always encouraged. Stethescope is required. A few other minor things are usually required like a tuning fork and physical diagnosis tools. Many schools have laptop/iPad bundled into tuition. I would absolutely have paid $400 extra to learn different ultrasound applications. I know for a fact that, most, if not all faculty don't have the expertise to teach it. Buying the machine wouldn't be difficult. Finding someone who could teach 12 applications would.

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Good news my friend, there are some misconceptions.... first, the greatest barrier is by far, the cost of the machine.  And you are absolutely correct, is not an insurmountable barrier.  The days of huge capital expenditures for machines is over.

 

Let's do the math.  $400 per student, in a class of 30 students is $12k.  With academic pricing SPACUS.org can secure full Lumify machines for $3000/year.  That's 4 machines per class, or 8 in a program of two classes.

 

During the lab sessions, 8 machines- 4 students per station, accommodates all students.  

 

Now the Training-again not a problem.  First SPACUS has a free Train the Trainer Program that is intended to teach faculty how to do the applications.  We also offer a free Text book and may even come to the school to arrange live scanning sessions.  We also offer help and mentorship with ongoing SUIS, student ultrasound interest sections to continue the learning.

 

"No time in the curriculum" -The medical school model of ultrasound integration isn't just about learning the applications.  It's also enhancing the learning that is going on in other classes.  For example, part of the physical diagnosis time learning the heart and the cardiac cycle are spent on the ultrasound machine seeing where the valves are closing, what is causing what sound, where the blood is flowing, how that fits on the EKG, and how this affects and creates murmurs, hypertrophy, and cardiomyopathies.  It's learning the same material but with another tool.

 

Use that tactile fremitus, pectoriloquy, egophany  much? yeah, me either... how about you taking the hour you took to learn 

Anatomy is portioned off so not all the time is spent in the cadaver lab, but some in "live and clinical anatomy" using ultrasound.  Same material is covered, grades have improved

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The arrangement is strange, but I would do almost anything I could to get exposure to ultrasound use.

Are you faculty?  What specialty are you in?  You don't have to "almost anything".  Join SPACUS and I will personally mentor you.  All I ask in return is that you give back to the society and pay it forward by teaching someone else.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Current first year student here! Aside from the required equipment, I think it is helpful to build your arsenal with supplemental resources that no one talks about but really make didactic year a success. I wrote a blog post that covers my favorite resources from didactic year so far. Some of them will be used throughout clinicals as well. If you want to check it out, my blog is www.balancingchina.com. I've included links as well. If you have any questions (I had a million), don't hesitate to contact me.

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