Teaching Experiences with Auscultation

Using a Cardiac Sound Simulator

Abstract

Learning auscultation with a cardiac sound simulator is extremely beneficial for medical students. However, the students should first choose a good stethoscope and learn how to use it well. Common problems that students have are: 1) failure to press the bell of the stethoscope firmly against the skin, 2) lack of audibility due to low-intensity sounds and inability to recognize the timing of sounds, and 3) difficulty in discriminating the systolic and diastolic phases. The cardiac sound simulator improves the accuracy of cardiac examination because it allows the precise timing of cardiac auscultatory events. Onomatopoesis, in which students mimic the sounds they hear, is also useful for learning auscultation with a simulator. However, the simulator is not well utilized, if students just listen to the sounds as they are produced by the simulator. We should assess the usefulness and limitations of the cardiac sound simulator and understand the likely pitfalls of auscultation.