1. Personalized, Engraved, or Embroidered Gifts
Doctors, nurses, and veterinarians go to school for a long time, then put in additional hours during residency and continuing education. It's safe to say they've earned their credentials, whether RN, MD, DO, BSN, etc. There's also a practical reason to engrave a gift — items like stethoscopes often get misplaced and having your name etched on it helps them get returned.
We suggest many personalized gifts at different price points.
- Personalized stethoscopes are a top gift, especially one from Eko.
- Scrubs or lab coats: Our friends at FIGS can embroider any of their scrubs, lab coats, or outerwear.
- Mugs or tumblers: Yeti offers customization on their tumblers. Engraving "MD" on a favorite mug is just as thoughtful as a stethoscope, and comes at a lower price.
2. Conference or Continuing Education Registrations
Conferences are a more complex gift because they require time off work, travel, and other logistics. That said, attending one can be an amazing networking opportunity and chance to knock out required continuing education in a fun setting.
We suggest attending conferences that match a desired specialty or professional association.
There are too many conferences to list for nursing, veterinary, and even virtual care fields. Reach out to us if you have specific questions on the best conferences.
3. Useful Tools & Gadgets for the Clinic
Technology is transforming how doctors evaluate, treat, and follow up with patients. We've sourced some useful tools clinicians love to use in the clinic.
- uNight Light 2.0 is Lumify's new and improved wearable LED light helps illuminate a workspace while decreasing patient disturbances.
- Pen lights are a handy and useful tool for every lab coat pocket and medical bag. Our friends at AllHeart offer a nice assortment at different prices.
- The Moleskine Smart Writing System unites what's jotted down in a notebook with an app, capturing and digitizing notes to make them available wherever a doctor has their smartphone.
- The Wispr digital otoscope is a high-tech and highly rated tool that provides unparalleled views of a patient's eardrum.
4. Coffee, Tea, & Specialty Food
Specialty foods and drinks make useful and considerate gifts for everybody. We've curated a list of consumable gifts for all tastes and budgets.
- BeanBox Coffee of the Month Club offers different length subscriptions.
- The Vahdam Teas herbal tea sampler offers an assortment of six teas, featuring wellness-boosting ingredients like turmeric and ginger.
- Cococlectic chocolate tasting box includes tasting notes and unique flavors.
- Provide healthy and easy to prepare dinners with a meal delivery service like Hello Fresh or a similar local vendor.
- Naturebox is everyone's favorite gift box with less sugar.
- Gift cards to Starbucks or a local coffee shop are a quick and easy, yet still thoughtful gift.
5. Gifts for Self-Care & Relaxation
Taking a little "me time" is easier said than done for a doctor with a full schedule. These gifts make it easy for them to take a break, even if it's just for a few minutes of peace and quiet.
- Spa treatment: Treat them to a local day spa for a massage or facial. It's always hard to schedule massages, but rewarding when you get them.
- Diptyque set of three holiday scented candles.
- Brookstone Shiatsu Foot Massager with Heat. This massager can be left under a desk or kept at home.
- Gravity-weighted sleep mask is the gift we didn't know we needed.
- Meditation app: A 1-year subscription to Headspace makes practicing meditation accessible from anywhere.
6. Good Reads for Doctors
If the physician in your life loves to unwind with a good book, these reads are great options for a thoughtful present.
- Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries Yale School of Medicine physician Lisa Sanders, MD, recounts some of the most unusual medical cases she wrote about in her New York Times column about medical mysteries. This book catalogs the 50 most memorable cases and discusses the difficulties behind diagnosing and treating symptoms that are not so clear-cut.
- Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters In The End Tackling end-of-life questions is one of the hardest dilemmas for any clinician. In Being Mortal, surgeon Atul Gawande writes about the importance of prioritizing quality of life in patient care.
- Letter to a Young Female Physician Written by Suzanne Koven, MD, this book is full of advice for women who are starting their careers in medicine. Drawing on decades of experience, Dr. Koven writes about what she wishes her younger self would have known before embarking on this difficult career path.
- When Breath Becomes Air At the age of 36, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Breath Becomes Air is an unforgettable, life-affirming reflection on the challenge of facing death and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a brilliant writer who became both.
- Cutting for Stone This novel was written by Ethiopian-born Indian-American medical doctor and author Abraham Verghese. It's a saga of twin brothers, orphaned by their mother's death at their births and forsaken by their father. It includes both a deep description of medical procedures and an exploration of the human side of medical practices.
7. Water Bottles & Coffee Mugs
If you're a practical gift giver, consider getting a present that the healthcare pro in your life will use every day at work to carry their favorite beverage.
- Travel mug: Goodbye, cold coffee! Whether for a coffee lover or a tea sipper, the Ember travel coffee mug keeps hot liquids at the precise temperature set directly from the device or with an accompanying app.
- Yeti tumbler: Take morning coffee to go with the Yeti Rambler® 20 oz Travel Mug with Stronghold™ Lid — a leak-resistant, twist-on lid that easily adjusts for both left- and right-handed users.
- Takeya Actives insulated stainless steel bottles keep drinks ice cold for up to 24 hours or steaming hot for up to 12. Protective silicone bumper minimizes dents and dings, allows for quiet set-down, and is the largest capacity bottle that still fits in standard cup holders!
- Water bottle: For the busy clinician on the go, the Hydro Flask Standard Mouth is an excellent choice. It fits perfectly in a cup holder or backpack to easily carry between shifts.
8. Comfortable Socks & Footwear
Quality footwear is one of the most important essentials for a healthcare worker. Help your loved one feel comfortable throughout their work day with socks and shoes that look and feel good.
- Compression socks can help support healthy circulation in the lower legs and feet, making them a useful gift for the MD or nurse who spends lots of time standing up. Bombas offers compression socks in fun patterns and colors — a far cry from clinical-looking compression socks.
- Clove shoes were designed specifically for healthcare professionals, and are made with non-slip bottoms for excellent traction on slippery surfaces and comfort insoles to support feet during a long day of standing. The pull-on design skips over trip-hazard laces, while the washable design keeps them clean between shifts.
- Powerstep insoles can fit into most shoes, so a doctor can continue to wear their preferred styles and brands while providing their feet with additional much-needed support.
- FIGS and New Balance worked together to create fashionable and functional footwear for healthcare pros. Each style offers what you need to get through a shift, whether it’s premium materials and supportive foam cushioning, retro-inspired style, or antimicrobial lining for anti-odor protection and reflective hits for night shift visibility.
