knjones87088 Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 PAs/students: Can anyone recommend a quality yet affordable oto/opthalamoscope set? I see that they range in price from $100-1000+ and I'm not sure which to choose. I'm willing to pay for a good set if it will serve me well over the years however I've heard that many people feel they've overspent on a set that was much more than what they needed for school. Thanks so much for your input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I use Riester opthalmo/otoscope set. It works really well and, most importantly, I have no trouble visualizing the fundus! Cost is mid $100 to mid $200. Don't get anything cheaper than that. It will break! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Get the cheapest set you can find - preferably from a 2nd year. Trust me when I say you won't use this past your first year (all offices/hospitals have them in pt rooms). I spent $50 on mine and just like my peers who dropped upwards of $300+ dollars, they are all sitting on a shelf at home collecting dust. I never had a student tell me they saw something with theirs that I couldn't see, and mine certainly didn't break (just used it not too long ago in fact at home and works like a champ). Are the hundred dollar ones nicer, more well lit, etc? Yes of course. But ask any PA or MD (with maybe the exception of those working in an optho or ENT practice) if they *EVER* bring theirs from home, my guess is 100% say no (all pt offices have ones in there). Also for otoscope, I prefer my cheap one to the $300 one my lab partner has. Gives me a wider and easier view of the inner ear and TM. Plus the expensive ones have to be recharged and people often forgot to charge them. My cheap one runs on batteries and hasn't gone dim yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I had a cheap one before my Riester and it broke in 2 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Our school issued units to us during our didactic year. We used what we had in our rotations. I would spend the money on a good stethoscope instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAAdmission Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I will take a contrary view to most of the others: get the nicest set you can afford. The quality of pretty much everything we buy today in this country is such garbage we have been conditioned to find it acceptable to buy crap and expect it to break and be replaced in 3 years. You never know when you might need a good diagnostic set some time in the future - medical missions, relatives, housecalls, etc. Buy once, cry once... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I will take a contrary view to most of the others: get the nicest set you can afford. The quality of pretty much everything we buy today in this country is such garbage we have been conditioned to find it acceptable to buy crap and expect it to break and be replaced in 3 years. You never know when you might need a good diagnostic set some time in the future - medical missions, relatives, housecalls, etc. Buy once, cry once... LOL, or how my family says... "cheap and angry". In reality money spent towards your ENT toys is nothing compared PA school loan. I am not saying the OP should go buy $500, but spending $100-200 is perfectly reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Picked up a nice set from ADC on Amazon for 150. Nice carrying case, multi piece, bright light. I think about humanitarian work a fair bit once I get established. Also free med clinics and stateside disaster work. Not to mention examining my kids before deciding a trip to the clinic is appropriate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfall Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 I bought mine for around $70 on ebay. It does its job and we've only use it occasionally (first year). I hear lots of second years just use the ones at their rotation sites and advised us not to buy anything fancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradtPA Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 My welch allyn set is still useful 6 years after it was bought in school. Not every office has one (my first IM job the guy was cheap, and the ones to get off the charger and carry into the room were crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdcd67 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I agree with winterallsummer. I used my set probably 2-3 times and then sold it to someone else. It's better if you use that money to buy a good stethoscope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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