As a medical student, my family and relatives always ask what I ‘need’ for Christmas. My answer: the gift of TIME! However, this is both impossible and unrealistic, so here are 7 other clever options to consider for the medical student in your life this holiday season! Espresso machine: Med students thrive on coffee. Help your medical student save money by getting them a nice espresso machine, or even a coffee maker. There are a lot of inexpensive options out there. You can even spice it up by adding in some flavored syrups to change up their coffee beverages. Duffel bag: We spend late hours at the library, on campus, and even at other friends’ apartments. A nice duffel bag would come in handy so your student can store essentials in their car and have the things they need in one place at a moment’s notice. Stethoscope: Every medical student needs a nice stethoscope that is going to last them through clinical rotations! Make it special by engraving their name into it. You can choose from an array of brands and colors. This is on my wish list this year! Scrubs: Once we start clinical rotations, we can never have enough pairs of scrubs! You can switch it up by getting different colors and patterns so they can mix and match. Gift cards: I know from experience that one of my favorite gifts to get from relatives is gift cards! First, I am a broke student without a job, so gift cards are a practical idea! Second, bonus points if you get a gift card for a 24-hour diner or coffee shop! Subscription to an online question bank: We all know that question bank subscriptions aren’t the cheapest, so consider getting a 6-month or year subscription for your broke student. Question banks are a necessity for us and essential in preparing for our STEP board exams. Headphones: Sometimes we just need to tune out the world for a little bit. A nice pair of headphones would be an awesome gift for your student so they can (physically and mentally) take a break from the real world occasionally. Source
