Look out for Quality
A quality stethoscope is usually one made of stainless steel for excellent acoustic performance, sound quality and resistance to bacteria.
Preferably, its earpieces are made of silicone and not plastic, and has a good noise canceling feature.
This noise canceling function is huge when you’re in a loud hospital room listening for a murmur or faint lung sounds.
Take the advice of Doctor Essentials – don’t skip out on the quality! You’re going to have this stethoscope for years and want it to be a tool and not just a discount hardware. 
Look out for Design and Finish
The durability of the stethoscope is just as important as its quality. You don’t want to always send it for repairs or replacements, do you?
If you have the budget, find one with premium components. With the right care, you can even take a well-invested stethoscope in your future hospitals or clinics after graduating.
Otherwise, opt for a budget-friendly option that’s still durable, flexible, has a chest piece that isn’t too heavy, a tube that’s not too short or too long, and has a warranty to back it up.
Most importantly, take care of your stethoscope so it can live up to its maximum life span.
Look out for Price
While price does not necessarily equate to quality, do not immediately resort to the cheapest or the most expensive stethoscope!
Weigh your options and go for the most cost-efficient one. That is; a stethoscope with good quality that serves your current need as a medical student and can last for years without you breaking the bank.
If you happen to start med school with a cheaper version, that’s okay. Maybe you received it as a gift or just didn’t have the money.
I’d still recommend saving up for a higher quality one before beginning your clinical rotations. You’ll need it more then to better hear heart and lung sounds.
Look out for these tips
- Frequency of use. There are some great stethoscopes for £30 to £60 if your use will be light or infrequent. For frequent or heavy use, consider a higher quality, more durable model.
- The sensitivity of the acoustics. You want a diaphragm and bell to allow you to hear various frequencies and vibrations.
- High quality durable head and tubing.
- Comfortable earpieces.
- Lightweight design. This is important if you’re wearing the stethoscope all day.
- The length of tubing. Shorter tubing may provide better acoustics but will also mean bending down more.
- Personalizing. It’s always fun to have the options of engraving, various tubing colors, or stethoscope accessories to tell your stethoscope apart from others.
So cut to the Chase what should I buy?
There are 2 main players/manufacturers in the Stethoscope market – Littmann & American Diagnostics Corporation (ADC). Littmann is owned by the global 3M corporation while ADC is New York owned with it premier focus on Diagnostic Medical products. Journalist Reviews and Marketing will point you to a Littmann, while actual ratings and experienced Doctors, Nurses, Consultants will choose ADC.