Posts tagged gift idea

I suppose it will really depend on your budget and what he likes. After discussing this question with my partner, here are some ideas we came up with.

• Stethoscope: Receiving one of these is a classic rite a passage. Functional and symbolic, this could make a good gift that he can take with him through medical school.
• White coat: Another functional and symbolic gift. It is easy enough to get a decent white coat for clinical purposes but I remember some of my classmates went to “higher end boutiques” and managed to get some tailored white coats.
• Fountain pen set: One of my preceptors is an older, classically educated man who was quite fond of fountain pens. While he reserved its use for more formal stationary and for more personal writing at the office, it brought an added level of sophistication and professionalism to his penmanship.
• Watch: We all need to keep track of time and it is a great fashion accessory, keeps you on time for classes and appointments, and useful for counting the heart and respiratory rates.
• Book: If he is an avid reader or loves the feel and smell of a book, consider finding a book - not a textbook - that he could keep. A small notebook, some classic medical text, or even memoirs of physicians past. On a related note, perhaps consider a medical journal subscription if they enjoy staying up to date.
• Gadget: For the technophile, a gadget might be more preferred although getting a cost-efficient gift in this department can be difficult. iPads are all the craze but expensive toys to carry into the hospital, while smaller tablets like the Nexus 7 can be a hard-hitters in the lower price bracket. Do note that a new iPhone and iPad ‘mini’ is rumoured to be coming on the horizon.

These were what we thought might be the most symbolic, most functional, or most valuable gifts you could get for a soon-to-be medical student. However, it all does come down to budget and taste.

Do you have a gift idea you would like to share? Leave a comment below.