Gifts For Medical Students – Must-Know Facts!

Medical school is a tough environment. Some useful gifts for medical students could significantly improve their lives in med schoolThat would be one way how we can make it easier for med students. To know exactly the best gift for a medical student, first of all, we need to know a little background about the studies. In med school, there are the pre-clinical stage and clinical stage.

Also, there are many other factors in medical school which You should take into account when searching the best gifts for med students.

Table of Contents

  1. Medical Student Gift Ideas in 2020
    1. Wireless ultrasound scanner
    2. VR headset for medical applications
    3. Smartwatches, activity trackers and sleep trackers
  2. Some gifts will be relevant forever…
  3. Who are medical students?
  4. What medical students do in medical school?
    1. Gift for Someone Starting Medical School or Medical School Preclinical Stage
    2. The transition period in medical school
    3. Gifts for Clinical stage in the medical school
  5. Best Useful gifts for medical students
    1. Kindle Paperwhite
    2. Netters Atlas of Human Anatomy
    3. High-Quality Medical White Coat
    4. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine
    5. Suture Practice Kit for Medical Students
    6. Medical Board Games for Student Education
    7. SonoSim® Ultrasound Training Solution
    8. Littmann Classic Stethoscope
    9. Medical Jigsaw Puzzles
    10. Perfect Medical Student lunch box
    11. Future Doctor Nectkie
    12. Venipuncture Practice Arm for Medical Students
    13. Trust Me I’m Almost a Doctor Mug
    14. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine
    15. Wooden Anatomy Coasters
    16. The Skeletal System Anatomical Chart
    17. The Muscular System Anatomical Chart
    18. Prescription Pill Bottle Shaped Shot Glass
    19. Laboratory Shot Glasses
    20. RX Perscription XXL Flask
    21. Stethoscope Heart Shaped Sticker
    22. Identification Name Tag with Engraving

Medical Student Gift Ideas In 2020

Some time has passed since we first looked at gifts for medical students. Of course, medical technology evolves and the same thing applies to medical education.

Just some things that have changed:

  • Complex things are being taught earlier,
  • Medical students are more advanced with modern technology,
  • Clinical imaging basics (or radiology basics) are essential for everyone involved in the medical field.

Based on these changes we have some exciting updates regarding gift ideas. Here we present 3 great futuristic gifts for medical students that could help them in their medical school journey.

Wireless Ultrasound Scanner

Yes, below you will see a portable ultrasound simulator where You can train Your ultrasound skills and examine different pathologies.

But the even better gift in 2024 would be their own ultrasound scanner.

While this ultrasound scanner shouldn’t be used for medical examinations, it’s perfect for studying ultrasoundbasic radiological anatomy, and basic radiological pathologies.

VR Headset For Medical Applications

Probably, at this moment everyone has heard about virtual reality headsets and VR environment. It was a matter of time until the VR environment would be used for medical applications. So, it’s here!

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VR headsets are used for anatomy, surgeons or interventional radiologist eyes and for different medical device applications.

Take a look at this heart transplant experience in 360°!

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Also if you ever have used VR headsets You know that video (medical videos on YouTube, for example) are super convenient to watch.

Smartwatches, Activity Trackers And Sleep Trackers

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While we have emphasized the benefits of these trackers in other articles, now, with our present knowledge and scientific research, we can list three very important aspects of smart trackers for medic students:

  1. Sleep tracking,
  2. Activity and movement tracking,
  3. Timer settings,

We can agree that all these things are important for medical student life. Also, there are other creative healthcare gadgets for wellness and of course, there are some gadgets that are designed for doctors.

We won’t go into much detail about these functions because they are self-explanatory and are covered in much detail in other tech sites.

Some Gifts Will Be Relevant Forever…

Some things in gifts for medical students are still unchanged…

Below You will find all of our previous suggestions which are still relevant in 2020.

If you want to skip the introduction about medical student life and go right after the best gifts for medical students.

But before we proceed we present You our top 3 gifts for medical students.

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Can You imagine – thousands of books just in one small book-sized device? That’s a reality with Kindle Paperwhite.

Download all the necessary literature for medical studies.

In addition, the battery can last up to 2 weeks.

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Stethoscope, computer, scrubs, prescription lists, charger for phone, etc.

All these things can fit in Booq backpack – thanks to excellent design.

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As a medical student who is in the clinical stage – You need to take night shifts. Especially if You want to learn new things.

With scrubs, these night shifts will be more comfortable.

Additionally, you can read our guide on choosing scrubs here.

On the other hand, if you don’t know who medical students are and what they do in medical school and hospital then please read our introduction.

We discuss their everyday life, preclinical stage and clinical stage in med school. Here is a quick recap of all the gift ideas for medical students.

Who Are Medical Students?

When was the last time you were at the hospital or at the dental office?

I certainly hope it was a long time ago but nevertheless, what do you remember from the people there, besides the other patients, of course. Doctors and nurses. They were the ones who helped you with your problem, doing the best they could.

Now, who else in medicine does the best they can to succeed, although they are neither doctors nor nurses? Who else is going through sleepless nights? – Exactly, Medical students.

Actually, you are well aware of who they are. You know, future doctors, dentists, and nurses. But if we talk in different terms, then each and one of the medical students is fascinating.

Just think about it!

Do you know a lot of youngsters who would be willing to live some of their best years of life as a full-time employee in a field called medicine? Furthermore, do you know many people who would be ready to get into serious debt from the very start of their adult lives?

Medical students have agreed to do this voluntarily.

They are brave, curious, hard-working and adventurous.

Medical students are diligent and empathetic.

When you talk to them, the most interesting question you could ask is – how did you end up choosing medicine as your field of specialty?

Some of them didn’t even consider a different option because they were born and raised in a family where medical specialists go way back for generations.

Some of them chose this area because they had some powerful experience in their life that motivated and somewhat pushed in this direction.

Tip: If You know why they chose the medical field and that was a positive experience try to recreate it. For example, if it was helping people in need – go volunteering. If this experience was helping animals – go to the animal shelter and play with animals!

For others, medicine simply felt like the place where they could develop their potential, grow both emotionally and professionally while learning exciting things. And then there are those who took it up as a lifelong adventure.

Most likely you have a general understanding of what are doctors, nurses, and dentists responsible for, what do they do on a daily basis, but today we will dive into med student life.

What Medical Students Do In Medical School?

In the video below You can see typical (perfect) day in medical school. Why perfect? Because sometimes You don’t have time to do sports – instead of that, it is necessary to study!

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Gift Pro Tip: You may find some useful information in our back to medical school shopping list.

As I mentioned above they have chosen to be full-time employees in medicine and that’s not an exaggeration.

How else would you call having lectures and practicals for 6 to 8 hours a day, additional daily studying for 3 to 4 hours at home or library?

If that wouldn’t be enough, weekends are also partially spent revising what was learned during the week.

Depending on the chosen specialty (doctor, dentist or nurse) and the country where they’re studying, this process lasts for 5 to 6 years.

Gift idea: Visit the SPA center or relaxing massage gift certificate for med students would be perfect.

The study process is roughly divided into two huge stages. Preclinical medical education and clinical medical education. Usually, the preclinical stage takes two years. The third-year is sort of a transition from the preclinical stage to clinical. In the Transition stage, they are learning how to work with patients. Then starting from fourth year all the way to the sixth year it is the clinical period.

In each of these stages, there are certain things to consider regarding their study process.

Gift Pro Tip: Keep in mind in which stage is a medical student when searching for gifts. For first-year students, the highest value is good books. For clinical-stage medical student medical tools are in a higher value (see stethoscopesscrubswatches and even pens)

Gift For Someone Starting Medical School Or Medical School Preclinical Stage

The aim of the first two years is to give basics. The medical student will learn about basic human structure, organ functions, related biochemistry, physiology, tissue composition. They are also taught about fetal development during pregnancy and about the microscopic world surrounding us (bacteria, viruses, parasites).

So gifts for them could be the same as gifts for someone starting medical school or going back to school after summer break.

Listen, learn, write it down and repeat!

There are not so many practical things in the med-school preclinical stage (with some exceptions in anatomy dissection classes and histology).

Basically, medical students are asked to absorb huge amounts of the newest science-based information. Reading, writing scripts for subsequent repetition, doing a lot of exams. If there’s some time left, then between these activities they are eager to spend it with their loved ones, family, and friends.

Actually, recent studies show that there are signs of burnout in preclinical medical students too.

Gift idea: Massage, Sauna, Swimming pool or other relaxation procedures would fit for medical students.

The Transition Period In Medical School

Every medical student without exception is waiting for the third year to start. They’re experiencing the excitement for a reason. Finally, they will have the opportunity to meet patients, try to puncture the vein, acquire their first stethoscope, listening heart and lung sounds.

Gift idea: This is the best time to acquire some medical tools for students – stethoscopesneurological hammers, ophthalmoscopes, surgery kitsscrubs, etc.

The third-year is special because essentially it’s medical student training for years to come – it’s not only their preparation for the next stage in hospitals but also a basis for their future work.

They are going to acquire a certain skill set – how to communicate with patients, how to do a full body examination, how to take a medical history, how to perform some fundamental manipulations, e.g. i/v puncture and catheterizationurinary bladder catheterizationblood pressure measurementnasoduodenal tube insertion, etc.

Gift Idea Tip: After two years of medical school student must know how to puncture the vein. So, the venipuncture training set can be an option as a gift for med students.

Gifts For Clinical Stage In The Medical School

Medical students, now equipped with knowledge and skills, are going to encounter their first patients in clinical conditions.

If we are talking about gift ideas for medical school students in the clinical stage then You need to look for specific books. These books will be dedicated to a clinical setting, how to approach patients, patient psychology, how can you spot diseases just by looking at the patient, which lab tests are the most important, etc.

The first steps may be not only breathtaking but also very scary. Everyone has gone through those feelings and that’s just fine. Starting from the fourth year they are about to study the part of medicine that you recognize from signs in the hospital. All these sub-specialties, gastroenterologycardiology, pulmonology, rehabilitation, radiology, etc.

As a result – bringing new challenges, emotions, and knowledge in the lives of med students. Each of these subspecialties requires a different approach and thinking thus possible gift options differ from one area to another.

Pro Gift Idea tip: Be a good listener and try to guess which specialty Your friend is interested the most. That could be a key moment in brainstorming new ideas. Would it be a cardiologist? Maybe he already loves everything that is connected with brains – see gift ideas for neurologists)? Or Eyes are his passion?

More than that, already during their studies, before getting the official diploma and becoming medical specialists, they are starting their journey in science direction.

How come, you might ask?

Medicine is a field that strives to be 100% science-based. Often we can read in news articles “new research reveals…”, “new research gives hope to physically impaired” and so on and so forth. Even if those researches are not associated with medicine, chances are those scientists did their first research when they were students as well.

That is an important part of their future, it involves working side by side with professors, utilizing high-tech devices, gathering a lot of theoretical information about the specific topic and eventually presenting their work in front of an audience in a science conference. Probably You already have some gift ideas in Your mind.

Best Useful Gifts For Medical Students

Medical students have an extensive background in studies. In each of these stages, they have a slightly different focus. Thus different needs that you can utilize to deliver a gift that your medical student will use in everyday life.

But medical students are so much more than hard-working, enthusiastic future doctors, dentists, or nurses.

In addition, most of them have hobbies of their own – singing in choirs or bands, playing an instrument, playing sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, martial arts, you name it), traveling, hiking, fishing, reading and so much more. Hobbies are very important to keep medical students sane and on track with their goals.

If you are able to understand the needs of a medical student, both in an academic environment and during their free time, then the biggest part of the job is already done. We’re here to do it for you. All that’s left is to choose a gift they will appreciate and use to make the next steps in becoming the medical specialist.

In the pre-clinical stage, it’s all about learning and making the first steps in the medical field. During this stage, there are three main subjects – anatomy, histology, and pathology. You can ask any student about the first years in medical school. We are sure that 90% of them will tell you exactly these three subjects. So part of the gifts can be associated with these subjects – learning materials, anatomical models, histology books, etc.

In clinical stage game changes. It’s all about developing clinical knowledge and skills. Useful gifts could be a stethoscope, pulsometer, internal medicine books (especially Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine), etc.

Here You can see top hand-picked gifts that were chosen by medical students for medical students.

Feel free to explore also other pages on gift ideas for doctors and medical professionals.

Kindle Paperwhite

The times when you had to carry around heavy books are over. You can store handbooks, textbooks, and even anatomy atlases in one small device which actually looks and feels like a real paper.

Also, book reading can be not only useful and educational but fun too. You can load some of the books which every doctor should read at some point in their career – House of GodThe Citadel, and other great books about life in medicine.

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Netters Atlas Of Human Anatomy

The holy grail of medical school and the first struggles that will be in medical school comes from this book.

How to overcome these obstacles in anatomy learning? – Be prepared!

The sooner you get this book, the sooner you will get familiar with the human anatomy (especially skull anatomy)!

Additionally, this book contains access to downloadable online image bank to help you study on your computer too!

Must have for pre-clinical medical students or as a gift for someone starting medical school.

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High-Quality Medical White Coat

High-quality coats always stand out and medical students love it!

This would also be a symbolical gift for someone who is starting medical school.

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Oxford Handbook Of Clinical Medicine

Most suitable gift for clinical-stage medical students. Useful advice on every page of this book. Also, it is easy to navigate through the topics.

This is general purpose book, also you may want to look in to other Oxford Handbooks which refers to a specific specialty.

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Suture Practice Kit For Medical Students

Surgery is one of the most popular specialties and part of the surgical training in medical school is to learn to suture properly.

Suturing is even more important in specialties like plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery.

Nevertheless, almost all medical students will have to suture something or someone during their medical years and the best way to pass suturing tests with flying colors is to train at home.

In this training set, you have different types of sutures on suturing board, needle holder, mosquito forceps, iris scissors, Adson tweezers, and scalpel. Also, it has different types of sutures, so you will be able to feel and try nylon and silk sutures on 2 different sizes (4/0 and 3/0).

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Medical Board Games For Student Education

Playing boardgames can be an entertainment and education combined together. There are some board games which are suitable as a gift for someone starting medical school or someone who is already in med school.

Check Out The Best Medical Board Games

SonoSim® Ultrasound Training Solution

A great and fun way to learn ultrasound, especially if a student is planning to be a radiologist!

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Littmann Classic Stethoscope

You are not a real medical student until you have Your own stethoscope!

You don’t need it during first two years, but later on you will use it with each and every patient!

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Medical Jigsaw Puzzles

While studying in the pre-clinical stage one way how you can motivate studying anatomy is by sticking together anatomy jigsaw puzzles or 3D anatomical puzzles.

Actually, with Livingston’s anatomy puzzle you can put together human torsto and head!

Check Out Anatomy Jigsaw Puzzles

Perfect Medical Student Lunch Box

For the brain to function properly – You need food!

For the brain to remember properly – you need food! MUST for med students.

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Future Doctor Nectkie

If your medical student wants to show everyone that he is a future doctor – this tie would be perfect.

Goes perfectly with the student’s white coat. Feel free to check out other medical ties where we have some very interesting ties for dermatologists, surgeons, and radiologists.

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Venipuncture Practice Arm For Medical Students

Every doctor should know how to puncture a vein. Maybe you won’t use it in future, and it will be done by nurses, but during medical school it’s a special feeling when you are able to puncture your first vein.

To be even more prepared for this puncture in medical school you can take this practice kit and train for that special moment!

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Trust Me I’m Almost A Doctor Mug

Or you can just cross out “almost” with a black marker… But maybe this cup is better when you are already in clinical stage of medical school.

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Harrison’s Principles Of Internal Medicine

With this book all the future studies begin. If you get the basic from internal medicine you will be more successful in future in any medical specialty – whether it be a radiology, surgery, family medicine, infectious diseases or any other.

Excellent for clinical medical students. Doctors also refer to it and it can be fun too!

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Wooden Anatomy Coasters

Tell all your friends that You can name all the bones on those coasters while pouring in some drinks.

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The Skeletal System Anatomical Chart

Need a quick revision of bone anatomy or skull anatomy? Or do a little show off in front of a friend? The perfect tool for revision, reference, and future surgical subjects too!

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The Muscular System Anatomical Chart

Need a quick revision of muscles? Or did you forget origo and insertio? Or (again) do a little show off in front of a friend? The perfect tool and gift for future orthopedic surgeons!

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Prescription Pill Bottle Shaped Shot Glass

Study medicine hard, party even harder and prescribe “medication” for yourself after studies !

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Laboratory Shot Glasses

Study in medical school hard, make shots even harder!

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RX Perscription XXL Flask

You can pour in some coffee or tea to keep you up during medical school lectures or practices.

Just another gag gift for medical students.

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Stethoscope Heart Shaped Sticker

When You open a laptop – let everyone know that you are a future doctor to be!

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Identification Name Tag With Engraving

Medical students love personalized stuff so they could differ from others.

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In conclusion, we hope that with this detailed view on what medical students are doing dailydifferent medical school stages, and gift tips you will be able to find useful gifts for medical students.

Otherwise, we had also some gag gifts for med students too. So, if you don’t know what would be the best gift, then just go with the fun – ties, board games, medical jewelry, and other creative gift ideas.