It’s that time of the year again….where families and friends get together to celebrate one tradition or another. It’s also that time where we give and receive presents. So, chances are, you probably know someone (or will know someone) in medical school. Yes, they haven’t called or talked to you for months, but rest assured, they are hard at work and probably going through academic hell. An encouraging, thoughtful letter, or better yet a gift is sure to cheer them up. Here are my top 10. 1. Littmann Stethoscope It is one of the best gifts you can give to your beloved med student. Its light-weight, durable and most importantly, practical. The product is amazing and quality, they will use it for decades to come. 2. iPad or an iPad mini Anything Apple (besides the edible kind) will do, but these high-end, sleek tablets will let your medical student watch surgical procedures, read medical articles and play fruit ninja while on break. One bonus about the mini is that it fits most pockets of white coats. Perfect companion to double check the starting dose of a beta blocker on Epocrates. 3. Payment of student loans We are medical students. Enough Said. Thanks for the remittance. 4. Personal training sessions Medical school does not allow much free time. Most of our lives revolve around a computer . Needless to say, we live a pretty sedentary life. Plus, getting older makes your metabolism disappear. Its probably vacationing on the beaches of St. Tropez as we speak. All of that combined, you are bound to get a little, you know, round… 5. Amazon or Wal-Mart Gift Cards These two establishments have almost everything a medical student can need or want. From books to coffee mugs to a video game. Pretty solid gift idea. 6. Starbucks gift card and/or a good coffee mug Coffee is one of the basic food groups for medical students, especially during exams we live on it. Moreover, at Starbucks, you can customize your coffee. And this is gold, especially during days where everything seems out of our control. Like most people want their ice cream cold, they want their coffee hot. The contiki coffee mugs are among the best I have seen.. They come spill proof, keep your brew hot for hours and are available in a variety of colors. 7. Full episode of House, M.D. Ahh, where do I begin about House, M.D….. It is the culmination of perfection for a medical drama. I mean, you are learning about medicine and enjoying yourself Try beating that! 8. Home-cooked meals There’s nothing like a home cooked meal. Nothing. Medical students have no time to sleep or eat. We tell our patients to avoid fast food joints but frequent them much more. Its cheap…. and fast…. So go ahead, adopt a medical student and make sure to feed them. 9. Full body massage gift certificate Although we are not doing much physical activity, our muscles do get all tensed up from stressing about the thousands of exams we have to take and do well in. Or the heaps of student loans. Please see # 8. We can use a professional to help us relax before a big test or that big residency interview. 10. Round trip tickets home Its no secret, especially to the medical student, that medical school can be stressful. However, with support from loved ones, it is possible to triumph. They might feel guilty for not studying during the holidays, but taking a much needed break is good for the psyche. It is imperative that they take some time off from their hectic schedules and relax. And we all know, “there’s no place like home!” Source
