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Looking for the perfect gift for that special student working towards a career in healthcare or that special healthcare worker in your life? Whether they're just starting their journey as a nursing student or medical student or are actively working as a nurse or a doctor, I’ve got you covered with an exciting array of gift ideas that are sure to bring a smile to their faces!
From practical tools that enhance their daily routines to self-care essentials that boost their levels of joy and wellness, this list of gift ideas has something for everyone in the healthcare field. Items on this page can be bought for any occasion, including birthdays, graduations, holidays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, a fresh start to the new academic year, random acts of kindness, and more!
I’ve had personal experiences with many of the items listed here and I’m sure many of them will make the long days of the gift recipients a little brighter and their meaningful work a little easier!
Get ready to make a lasting impression and to show your endless gratitude with these thoughtful gifts! 😄
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Littman Stethoscope
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LuxeClip: Stethoscope Clip
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FIGS Scrubs
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Allbirds Shoes
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Allbirds Tree Loungers (Slippers)
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Airacker Ankle Athletic Running Socks
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SwissGear Backpack
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Contigo Water Bottle
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Contigo Coffee Tumbler
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Ember Coffee Mug
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Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
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Braun Drip Coffee Maker
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Instant Pot
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Crock-Pot Slow Cooker
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Cuisinart Air Fryer
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Music Streaming Subscription
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Audible Subscription
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Video Streaming Subscription
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AirPods
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Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones
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JBL Portable Clip Speaker
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Whitecoat MedInfo Clipboard
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Anatomy Flashcards
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Suture Practice Kit
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Otoscope & Ophthalmoscope Kit
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Blood Pressure Cuff (Sphygmomanometer)
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The White Coat Investor
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Medical Apartheid
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What Doctors Feel
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Amazon Kindle
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Laptop
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Smartwatch
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Portable Phone Charger
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Charging Stand
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Gift Cards
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Soft Foam Ear Plugs
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MZOO Sleep Eye Mask
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Blackout Window Curtains
This diagnostic companion is an essential staple in every medical/nursing student’s toolbox. I’ve personally used the Littman brand of stethoscopes ever since my first year in medical school and I have yet to be disappointed. There’s a reason why it is the most well-known brand, and why some (myself included) consider it to be the gold-standard brand of stethoscopes! With several models and colors to choose from, you really can’t go wrong with getting this as a gift!
Spare your favorite med/nursing student’s neck with this nifty stethoscope holder! Both practical and sleek, it is sure to make other students, nurses, and doctors envious. The recipient of this gift will greatly appreciate you for helping them keep their stethoscope secure!
You would be hard-pressed to find a medical/nursing student who wouldn’t jump in joy after receiving a free set of FIGS Scrubs. I fell in love with these scrubs after I purchased my first set in residency! Made with both unparalleled comfort and stylish fashion in mind, these scrubs will leave the wearer feeling confident and ready for action as they provide quality care to their patients. It also doesn’t hurt that they are amazingly durable and are designed with functionality in mind, allowing the wearer ample ways to store a variety of items. And to top it all off, the company donates scrubs to healthcare professionals in need every time one of their scrubs are purchased! What a way to give back!
What’s even better than comfy and stylish scrubs? Comfy and stylish shoes of course! Healthcare students and professionals are constantly on their feet, so why not get them a pair of shoes that will leave them feeling like they’re walking on clouds? Not only are shoes from Allbirds comfortable and versatile, they are environmentally-friendly! Allbirds takes pride in using sustainable materials and has pledged to reduce their carbon footprint to near zero by 2023. Gifting this to a loved one will help them take steps towards a more conscious and comfortable future!
Can’t get enough of the amazing comfort that Allbirds sneakers bring? I know I couldn’t, which is why I ended up also treating myself with some of their slip-on shoes that I could wear around the house! The slippers are incredibly comfortable and are so nice to slip into after a long day of work or study. Your favorite medical/nursing student and/or healthcare worker will forever thank you for this gift!
Why stop your journey to unparalleled comfort in footwear at shoes? These ankle athletic socks are the most comfortable socks that I’ve ever owned, so much so that I proceeded to throw away all the other everyday “athletic” socks that I owned because I simply couldn’t stand how uncomfortable and scratchy they felt compared to these Airackers. They somehow provide arch support, prevent foot fatigue, are breathable, and cushion your feet so much that you forget you’re not walking on clouds. They are not only perfect for workouts, but also are perfect for the medical/nursing student or healthcare worker who will be active on their feet all day saving lives!
SwissGear makes some excellent backpacks that are really functionable and are built to stand the test of time. I bought one of their backpacks in the middle of my intern year and it has been going strong ever since with minimal damage! Your favorite med student/nursing student/healthcare professional will undoubtedly be immersed in their studies and work on a daily basis, so get them a quality backpack that can withstand their busy lifestyle!
As a former med student and current healthcare provider, I know firsthand the importance of keeping yourself hydrated as you power through your day. I’ve tried out various types of water bottles and I must say, Contigo’s insulated and leak-proof water bottles are by far my favorite! My water stays ice-cold for what seems like forever, my water bottle is ridiculously durable, and it was definitely designed with convenience in mind. Keep your loved ones refreshed (and their kidneys happy 😉) with one of these Contigo water bottles!
As a former med student and current healthcare provider, I also am acutely aware of how life-changing a hot cup of coffee can be on any given day. The only thing better than that is taking that coffee with you in an insulated travel tumbler that keeps your coffee hot for hours. Gifting this to any busy student or professional is a heck of a way to get them to love and appreciate you! I’ve exclusively used Contigo’s coffee tumblers for years and I don’t plan on switching to another brand anytime soon.
Wanna take your favorite coffee enthusiast to the next frontier in coffee perfection? Get them this coffee mug that allows them to experience the pleasure of sipping their coffee for as long as they would like at their desired temperature via Bluetooth technology that connects their mug to an app on their phone. The sleek and modern design of the mug adds to its elegant aesthetic, with the mug’s charger also serving as its coaster. I was gifted with one of these during residency and I’ve been a happier man ever since!
Help the special current or future medical professional in your life get each of their mornings started with a caffeinated boost provided by Keurig! These convenient coffee makers will allow anyone to get a fresh cup of hot coffee in under five minutes (preheating water + coffee brew) with the simple push of a button. Although they are known for making coffee, some of the models of this versatile brand can make tea and hot chocolate! Cleanup is just as easy as setup, making it the perfectly convenient game-changer for a medical professional’s busy lifestyle!
Braun’s drip coffee makers are designed for the special current or future medical professional in your life who prefers to choose a more environmentally friendly way to enjoy their daily coffee ritual. Their coffee makers allow one to unleash their inner barista by giving them the freedom to control how much coffee they would like to brew at once and rids them of the hassle of finding a way to dispense K-cups in an environmentally-conscious way. I received one of these coffee makers as a wedding gift and I’ve consistently been using it ever since!
Students and professionals studying and working in healthcare are understandably limited in free time due to their demanding schedules. They may even unintentionally skip meals every now and then for the sake of learning and caring for patients. I know that I sure have in the past. These reasons are why gifting an incredibly convenient kitchen appliance like an Instant Pot to a special med/nursing student or healthcare worker in your life would make a world of difference to them. It’s almost like this stroke of kitchen magic that can do all sorts of things (pressure cook, slow cook, saute, steam, and more!) was specifically designed for people like them!
If your favorite med/nursing student or healthcare worker is more of a fanatic for flavorful and mouthwatering meals that are slowly cooked, a Crock-Pot would be a perfect gift for them! This kitchen appliance will unlock their inner chef and will give them a tantalizing opportunity to show off their culinary skills in a very convenient way without compromising much of the limited free time available to them!
Air fryers were made for those of us who can’t pass up some crispy, fried, golden goodness when it comes our way. Not only do these fantastic inventions fry food in a way that locks in flavor, it does so without exposure to unhealthy fatty materials typically associated with fried foods, allowing for guilt-free enjoyment! Both the Cuisinart and Instant brands make air fryers that perform a variety of tasks such as air frying, baking, broiling, toasting, and more! I got a Cuisinart air fryer as a wedding gift and while I was skeptical at first at how it would measure up to my trusty old Nuwave countertop convection oven that desperately needed to be replaced, my wife and I been impressed at how well (and fast!) it cooks up our food! This is a nifty kitchen appliance for a busy student or professional to have after coming home from a long day of work!
As someone who is constantly on the go, I wouldn’t be able to make it through my long days without some music to jam to! And if I’m not in the mood to listen to my favorite playlists, I can always switch over to one of my favorite podcasts to learn from. I personally have been using Spotify since my college days and I 100% recommend it, but I also don’t think you can really go wrong getting an Apple Music, Tidal, or Pandora subscription for that special healthcare student or professional in your life!
If you’re getting a gift for a book-lover who is always on the move, getting them a subscription from an audiobook platform like Audible would be a wonderful idea! It would give them the opportunity to dive into captivating stories and listen to interesting podcasts while doing whatever task they need to do at the same time. I’m a huge fan of listening to audiobooks on Audible on long drives. For someone who is always short on time but would enjoy bite-sized insights and key takeaways from audiobooks, Blinkist is a platform that will allow them to transform spare moments into great learning experiences!
For those of you who know med/nursing students and medical professionals who look forward to nothing more than binging their favorite shows or immersing themselves in cinematic journeys, gifting them with a streaming subscription would mean so much more to them than you may ever realize! These days there are so many options to choose from (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, MAX, Paramount+, Discovery+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video), with each streaming platform having their own special shows and movies. To maximize the impact of this gift, it would probably make more sense to figure out what they already have and fill in their streaming library with something they haven’t gotten around to subscribing to yet.
Listening to music, podcasts, movies and shows while on the go would be a heck of a lot harder to do without a great pair of earphones. AirPods are the perfect solution to this, allowing you conveniently listen to whatever you want without having to deal with the annoyance of tangled cables! I use these all the time and their ability to seamlessly connect to devices via Bluetooth technology is unrivaled. I bet any medical/nursing student or healthcare worker would love to have a set of AirPods!
If that medical/nursing student or healthcare professional you know is anything like me, they sometimes need intense focus whenever they’re studying or completing an important task. Some like silence, others like listening to music without the bothers of the sounds from the outside world. That’s where Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones come in! These bad boys do an excellent job of cutting out the noise from one’s surroundings and immersing the individual into the beats and melodies of their favorite sounds. Along with their Bluetooth capabilities, they are amazingly sleek, come in a variety of different colors, and are designed for extended wear! I love these headphones and I’m sure your loved one would too!
Sometimes you want to listen to music but don’t really feel like wearing headphones. You could get a large speaker system but that’s no fun carrying around if you’re on the move like most students and professionals in healthcare are. What IS fun carrying around is the JBL Clip Speaker, a lightweight and portable powerhouse of a speaker that brings the party wherever it goes! Bluetooth technology makes it super convenient to use and you can clip the speaker on anything you want (gear, backpack, cooler, etc.), ensuring that you don’t lose it. I got my wife one and we loved it so much that I got one for myself!
Both students and professionals in healthcare need to be organized to provide the best care they can for patients. Medical/nursing students and residents also need to be ready to present important information about their patients on rounds. Not only does the WhiteCoat MedInfo Clipboard keep essential papers for the workday in one place, it also serves as a useful reference tool by displaying important medical information such as normal lab values commonly ordered, helpful medical formulas, useful physical exam tips, and more! With different specialty and profession-specific editions of the clipboard available to order in a variety of colors to choose from, this handy clipboard will keep the gift recipient looking professional, sharp, and confident in their clinical abilities!
Anatomy is a core concept that is taught in medical school, nursing school, and in many of the other professional schools that train driven folks to become healthcare workers. There are a plethora of resources available to study anatomy, but I personally thought that these portable flashcards were absolutely essential to my success in my anatomy course in med school. The anatomical illustrations on each of the cards are coupled with labels and clinical notes that make it easy to self-quiz and review high-yield anatomy concepts in an interactive way. This set of flashcards also gives you access to more than 300 multiple-choice questions online! It is an excellent complementary study tool to Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy and will serve any budding doctor or nurse well as they take a deep dive into the human body!
Most healthcare workers will not be putting sutures in for a living, but just about every medical student will need to learn how to suture at some point in their medical training before graduating from medical school. And if you have a surgeon-in-training in your life, they will 100% need to learn how to put in all kinds of sutures. This practice kit is an all-in-one solution for mastering suturing techniques and honing one’s skills with confidence! I love that it uses a silicone pad that mimics the texture, elasticity, and tension of human skin and the kit certainly help me gain confidence in my suturing technique throughout medical school and residency!
What better way to help that budding healthcare professional in your life practice their eyes, ear, nose, and throat examinations than to provide them with a quality Otoscope/Ophthalmoscope Kit? They will be performing many of these during their medical training, so it would be really helpful to have a kit of their own to practice with. Plus, it’s just a great tool to have at their disposal in case they need it in their personal lives.
Taking an accurate manual blood pressure is a rite of passage for anyone who wants to become a doctor or a nurse. This skill doesn’t just come overnight though; one needs to practice performing this skill over and over again until it becomes second-nature. Getting a manual blood pressure cuff for a future doctor or nurse who doesn’t yet own one is never a bad idea! Not only will they get a lot of practice in, the people they practice on will be able to conveniently get free blood pressure readings whenever they want! (This should not take the place of seeing your primary care doctor, don’t even think about skipping out on your annual checkup.) Clicking this sentence will take you to a blood pressure cuff for kids!
This book should be required reading for everyone who wants to become a medical doctor. It is an immensely helpful book full of practical financial advice for those of us in the medical field who didn’t really ever learn much about how to manage finances. It provides insight on how to achieve financial independence and on how to navigate the various stages of one’s financial journey. I read it cover to cover twice in medical school and to this day, I use a lot of the advice I learned from this resource in my everyday life! Gifting this book to a future doctor has the potential to drastically change the trajectory of their life!
This book serves as an eye-opening and thought-provoking exploration of the dark history of medical experimentation and racial discrimination in the United States. It does an excellent job on shining a light on the hidden chapter of healthcare in America and its impact on marginalized communities. Gifting this will help a current or future healthcare professional gain a deeper understanding of the systemic injustices that have shaped healthcare as a whole and will hopefully empower them to be a part of the change that we are continuing to fight for in this field so that we can provide quality care to everyone we serve in an equitable fashion.
This book takes the reader on a deep dive past the objective minds and methods of medical professionals and into the often overlooked world of the emotional toll that careers in healthcare have on physicians. It touches on how emotions help shape how doctors practice medicine and how they influence the complex dynamics of the doctor-patient relationship. Reading this book before my intern year of residency helped reinforce how important it was to never lose sight of the human side of medicine and how critical of a role empathy plays in caring for patients. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is actively pursuing a career in healthcare, is actively working in healthcare, or has an interest in the human experience as it relates to healthcare!
Got a healthcare student or professional who prefers to read books on an electronic device? With a Kindle, they can take all of their favorite books wherever they want all on one lightweight and portable device! The Kindle pairs beautifully with the Kindle app that you can download for free on a phone or tablet, and has a battery life that can allow for weeks of reading on one charge! With customizable features such as page layout adjustment and font sizing, coupled with other features such as note-taking, highlighting and bookmarking, reading on a Kindle is likely to be an enjoyable experience for the gift recipient!
Laptops are an essential item for any student or professional studying and/or working in the field of healthcare. This simply cannot be overstated, especially in the times that we live in today. There are many brands of laptops out there that you can get for someone, but the three brands that I have the most familiarity with and trust in are Apple, HP, and Dell. I’m not a tech nerd or anything; all I know is that I’ve had fantastic experiences with computers from each of these companies! Getting someone a new laptop from any of these three brands would absolutely make their day – scratch that, make their year, and garner a ton of love and appreciation from them to you! You can even sweeten the deal by also getting them a second computer monitor and an HDMI Cord!
Smartwatches make for such great gifts because they are really cool and are capable of doing a wide variety of things (ex. telling time, setting timers, tracking physical activity, playing music, answering calls & texts, checking stocks, etc.), but a lot of people can’t really seem to justify buying one for themselves, especially if they don’t typically wear watches. Whether you get that one-of-a-kind healthcare student or professional an Apple Watch, a Fitbit, or a Galaxy Watch, the stylish wrist accessory is surely going to be greatly appreciated!
For those of us who are always on the move, having a dead phone is the last thing that we want to have to deal with. Unfortunately, many people in the field of healthcare have long days that start with early mornings and end with late nights, which means that there’s a high chance that their phones can end up close to dead or completely out of juice by the time the afternoon or evening rolls around. In times like this, having a backup portable phone charger on hand can be a lifesaver! I’ve had the same backup portable charger for many years now and it has gotten me out of some tight situations (ex. phone on 5% battery five hours into an unexpected seven-hour trip stuck in horrendous weather and traffic in an old car that doesn’t have USB charging capabilities 😅). Do a healthcare student or worker a favor and get them one of these if they don’t already have one!
If you aren’t familiar with the concept of a charging stand, prepare to have your mind blown! This charging stand allows you to charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once by simply placing them on the stand! It is an incredibly convenient way to charge up your essentials, especially if you’re going to be sitting at your desk for a while. For students and professionals who are Android lovers, the ZUBARR Wireless Charging Station has stands make specifically for Android devices! I have a charging stand for my Apple products and I often use it when I’m working at my home desk!
Maybe you don’t know what your healthcare hero may want or need as they keep themselves busy saving lives. That’s perfectly okay, that’s what gift cards are for! Just give them some money and they will take care of the rest. Everyone loves a good ol’ Amazon or Visa gift card, but if you want to spice things up a bit you can get them a gift card from places and services like Starbucks, Uber Eats, GrubHub, and/or DoorDash! I guarantee that they will use up any and all of those practical gift cards with the quickness!
As a light sleeper, random sounds used to constantly wake and keep me up in the middle of the night. After I started using soft foam ear plugs, my quality of sleep skyrocketed and I honestly can’t sleep well without using them. I also sometimes used ear plugs to focus and block out the noise around me as I studied for big exams. Getting a healthcare student or professional a couple packs of ear plugs will surely be appreciated, especially if you know that they like to be in silence at times!
This eye mask has also been a godsend, especially when I had to sleep during daylight hours throughout my stretches of night call in residency. I coupled this with ear plugs and I was instantly in my own quiet world of darkness, where I could fall asleep with ease. Your favorite healthcare student or worker can sleep in such bliss too if you get them one of these eye masks along with some soft foam ear plugs! Just make sure they know to keep their alarm on super loud if they have to be up by a certain time 🙃.
Now I’ve never personally used these, but I know other people who swear by blackout window curtains. Designed to block out any type of light from outside, they transform a bedroom into a haven of darkness, creating an ideal sleep environment even in the middle of the day. They also absorb sound from outside, keeping the room quieter to allow for peaceful transition into sleep. If the healthcare student or worker you’re buying gifts for don’t like to sleep with eye masks on their face, these curtains are an excellent alternative!