My son’s pediatrician used a stethoscope on him two days ago.
I am not a doctor, I am a veterinary technician. I have to use a stethoscope a lot because one of our duties is to get an initial TPR (temperature/pulse/respiration) on patients. We rarely keep them around our necks on a regular basis because the damn things are murderous. They are always catching on things and nearly killing you or at the very least get pulled off. A co-worker had one around her neck when she helped a client take their large dog out to their car on our gurney. As she lowered the gurney to be level with their car the stethoscope caught under the ledge of the table and yanked her head down nearly strangling her. When we need to keep them on our person we put them in the large pockets on our cargo pants.
I am guessing that these hazards may not be limited to animal hospitals so I wouldn’t be surprised if most doctors and nurses don’t actually wear them around their necks anymore.
A few. They’re fading away, as very few docs go out into practice without completing at least a 3 year residency. Most states won’t even license a med school grad to practice unless he/she’s completed at least 2 years of training.
Much more common is the Family Physician, or Family Medicine specialist. This is a primary care specialty which requires 3 years of residency, as opposed to GP, which requires only one year. Board certification in the specialty (the gold standard these days for denoting thorough training) is available to those who complete the residency and pass a series of subject modules and a real PITA exam.
A well rounded family doc (such as myself 
) can take care of 90% of the issues that afflict your typical patient.
And yes, I use a stethoscope, when I need to hear what the heart, lungs, or abdomen are up to.
My doctor is a MD and family practitioner, and I’ve gone to him for a few years. I think he used a stethoscope once a couple years ago when I had a flu or something like that. I have a family history of heart disease and stroke. I’ve never been hospitalized or had any heart attacks, but heart disease is called a silent killer.
Speaking as a non-medical person, I use “GP” in a non-technical term to mean the primary doctor I see on a regular basis, and the one I use as a jumping off point to specialists.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that’s the meaning other Dopers were using as well. I’m not sure what the OP meant in the subject of the thread.
From post #12:
Mine does every visit but I do have a history of both heart and lung issues.
My primary doctor is an internist, not a GP. But unless I break out in a rash or think I broke a bone, there’s precious little difference. Anyway, he’s a big believer in using a stethoscope to listen front and back, asking me to cough, and using a tongue depressor and looking down my throat.
Every once in awhile he uses the little hammer to hit my knee, too.
All of you should feel lucky, and give your doctor a big pat on the back your next doctor visit.
[quote=“GreenElf, post:12, topic:731550”]
but he probably would only order a cholesterol test done at my request rather than to any concerns of his own regarding possible side effects.[/QUOTE
That sounds a bit cavalier. If there’s a known side-effect, surely it’s his duty to make sure he checks for it? AFAIK it’s a standard protocol here for the loads of people in my sort of position (plus, there is a standard policy to have periodic “medicines use reviews” to make sure medications are still needed, and possible side-effects understood, not only as part of the doctor’s reviews of bloods, but also every now and again the pharmacist will sit me down and run through their checklist).
Maybe the poster who suggested you change GP is on to something.
My endocrinologist still uses a stethoscope; as part of every visit, he does a routine check of my heart, lungs, etc.
I should probably note that he’s also likely in his late 70s. 
I just got home last night after 3 days in the hospital.
Somebody (Doctor, surgeon, nurse practitioner, etc.) used a stethoscope on me every 2-4 hours!
So they do seem to still be in common use.
P.S. When the doctor comes in to see you, followed by a few student doctors, and they each take a turn listening with their stethoscopes, and telling you to take deep breaths, you can almost be hyperventilating by the end of this.
All of my doctors use a stethoscope when I visit.
Well, except for the neurologist. That would be weird. He’s only interested in my migraines.
My son went off to community college today, proud as a peacock, with a new stethoscope around his neck.
He just started a two year program to be certified as an EMT/Paramedic, and the class today involves respiration.
So, as a small data point, a 17 year old was indeed using a stethoscope today!
Wallet
I work very closely with five family practice docs. One of them is my personal physician. I don’t see him wear a stethoscope around the office, but he has always used it in my exams. The other four docs, three of them wear stethoscopes the other one does not. But I’m pretty sure she uses them in exam as my doc does.
I saw a neurologist several years ago to rule out a pinched nerve in my neck. He listened to my head and neck with a stethoscope to listen for blood flow.
my NP and my MD before her both used their steths to listen to my heart, lungs, and bowel sounds plus they listen to my neck for carotid bruits. At each patient visit, I use my steth ( a Littman Cardiology II, with my name laser engraved*) to listen for the same sounds.
*establishes ownership in case a doctor “walks off” with it, plus it is a bright, pretty pink.
What are “carotid bruits”? I know what the carotid arteries are (and where they are).
Yeah, stethoscopes are still in common use. My doctors listen fore and aft at every checkup. My pcp (an internist) always listens, the gynecologist I went to listened, and the nurse practitioner I saw at the office listened. I guess the ophthalmologist didn’t (although he checked my eye pressure every time I went, which was weekly, for a while) and the dermatologist doesn’t. But all the docs doing anything at all systemic do.
Maybe you should shop for a new doctor?
sounds of turbulence in the carotid arteries, indicating they might be getting clogged up (carotid stenosis.)