The best gifts for medical residents and the best gifts for medical students fall into (at least) one of 3 important categories…
As I support my husband through his medical residency, I’ve observed first hand that his top 3 needs are things that save time, things that improve his skills or ability to practice medicine and things that relieve stress.
With that in mind, I would encourage anyone getting a graduation or Christmas or Match day gift for medical students or medical residents to give a gift that does one of those 3 things.
Below, I’ve put together a list of 11 practical and useful gifts that any medical student or resident would enjoy.
(And yes, every item was approved by my personal medical resident, my hubby).
Best Gifts For
Medical Students & Medical Residents
1| ELECTRONIC STETHOSCOPE, a cutting edge tool to upgrade their medical practice
If your goal is to gift a more high-end or high-tech gift, you can splurge on an electronic stethoscope like this LITTMANN ELECTRONIC STETHOSCOPE.
My husband was given one of these during his first year of residency and he really likes it.
He says it cuts down on unwanted noise and guess what? It even transmits heart sounds to a computer via Bluetooth!
It’s pretty impressive (and you can snag a matching name plate here)!
2| CARE PACKAGE
I asked a group of close friends their favorite things to get for Christmas and the only one that happens to be in medical school literally responded-
“If someone made me a pack of stuff I use, that would be awesome…like if I got a pack of my body lotion, toothpaste, face towels, makeup, toilet paper, paper towels, etc, I would be ecstatic“.
So there you have it- first hand evidence of how impactful a care package can be. It shows a lot of thought and care and saves your student or resident a lot of time!
Even though it seems simple, a personalized package of toiletries and supplies is one of the best gifts you can give a medical student or medical resident.
3| UNDER DESK BIKE, for convenient exercise & to promote wellness
It’s really a shame that a busy schedule will keep most trainees from getting the exercise that they need.
Exercise decreases stress and improves sleep & brain function.
You can give a gift to help them reap the benefits of exercise even when they are really busy (which is basically always).
In particular, this UNDER DESK ELLIPTICAL is a FAVORITE of mine.
It has high ratings (which I agree with) because it is an amazing way to exercise and keep the blood flowing while studying or working on notes.
BTW, have you read…
MARRIED TO A DOCTOR: 7 Things That’ll Shock You When Married To A Resident
4| SERVICES THAT SAVE THEM TIME
- Cleaning services
- Food subscription box
- Dogwalking
- Snow shoveling / Lawn care services
- Grocery delivery
- Laundry service
These are all things that can make life easier for the medical student or resident. I can’t imagine that anyone would be less than thrilled to be gifted one of these services.
6| STUDY AIDS LIKE–
a. ANATOMY POSTERS
This anatomical poster set comes with TEN 18”x27” posters for detailed studying.
b. LIFE SIZE SKELETON MODEL
A scientific human skeletal model for studying anatomy and physiology. Many of the reviews vouch for its accuracy.
7| DOCTOR SWAG
Even though the process is hard and stressful at times, most (if not all) medical students and residents are passionate about their profession and proud of it.
So why not get them something that flaunts their achievements or pokes fun at it in a humorous way.
You can buy something hilarious like this ‘World’s Okayest Resident‘ T-Shirt or this ‘Trust Me I’m ^almost A Doctor” Mug
or…
stick with something clever like this ‘White Coat Loading’ T-Shirt from Etsy.
8| A WEIGHTED BLANKET or WHITE NOISE MACHINE, to encourage quality sleep
Medical training is notorious for poor sleep.
For medical students, it’s all the studying. For medical residents, it’s being on call. I have personally witnessed my husband struggle with sleep after a weekend or month of overnight calls.
When sleep is scarce (or irregular), every minute of it needs to be quality so things that encourage that would be much appreciated.
A highly rated (and beautiful) WEIGHTED BLANKET like this one provides comfort and improves rest through deep tissue stimulation.
This WHITE NOISE MACHINE would also be an excellent gift for those with roommates or in noisy cities and are in need of calm, restorative sleep.
9| HOSPITAL-THEMED CARD GAME
Perfect for medical school or residency get togethers, this MEDICAL BOARD GAME packs a bunch of laughs (and laughing equals stress relief).
10| HOBBY GIFTS
The first answer that came to my husbands mind when I asked him about this subject was “things that have to do with their hobbies”.
Medical school and residency are not only challenging, they can feel overwhelming. So much so that sometimes, in the thick of things, it’s hard to remember what you even enjoy outside of medicine.
Since money can also be a challenge, a gift related to your medical student or residents hobby would be a great idea.
So, if they like football, an NFL jersey might make them happy. Or, if they like traveling, planning a vacation together would be enjoyable.
It’s also a great way to personalize your gift and really show that you care.
11| COFFEE!!!
& Last but not least….coffee!!
Power your favorite medical student or resident by gifting them a coffee machine (like THIS PRETTY SINGLE-SERVE KEURIG) if they don’t have one.
If they already have one, you can always gift them bundles of coffee or tea to brew during their studies.
Those are 11 great gifts for medical students and medical residents.
If you found something to gift, let me know!
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