My nephew is graduating from medical school in a few months and we’d love to give him a special gift. I’ve asked his mom for ideas and she is almost as clueless as I am! I mentioned I’d solicit ideas on this forum and she said, “Oh, ask for me, too!”
So, here’s the question is: What have CC parents given their med school graduates? Perhaps a keepsake, perhaps sentimental…
Oh no! IA is no longer in business or I would have recommended one of their fine MRSA ties. 
ETA: yay!!! Found it:
http://www.ties.com/infectious-awareables-mrsa-blue-tie
It is definitely a conversation piece, and he can proudly say, yes, my tie has drug-resistant staph all over it!
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=99526&page=1
Add a nice gift card to his favorite restaurant to it. 
When he knows where he is going for residency get a gift certificate to a good local restaurant.
You might want to wait until after Match Day to find out where he’ll be going for residency.
However, money is likely going to be a very appreciated gift.
Will his parents be throwing him a party or dinner? Will they be having his diplomas professionally framed?
I will be paying attention to this thread since we’ll be facing this next year! Can’t believe son will be graduating in 16 months!!!
If people still give them as gifts, this seems like the kind of occasion for a very nice pen.
If people still give them as gifts, this seems like the kind of occasion for a very nice pen. Gift certificate for a monogrammed lab coat, or a really nice stethoscope also come to mind.
By the time DD graduated from med school, we no longer gave “doctor bag” and other medically related stuff. Our main gift to her was an item for her hobby. We did give her one medical item, though, just for fun, it was an insulated hot cup, the ceramic kind, and I found an etsy person who paints it like a doctor coat and puts their name on it. We had a running joke about her professional name so it was fun & silly & useful.
It could totally just be me, but the “wow, you’re going to be a doctor” stuff is more special when starting med school, now they are graduating, they ARE doctors, it’s not fun & cute, it’s real. They are about to embark on 100 hour weeks and the hell of intern year, possible moves etc., We figured either useful things, money/gift card or something to enhance their lives- something to force them to remember the fun stuff. Intern year is incredibly absorbing, anything to remember real life could be nice. (movie tickets, gift cards for favorite activities, sports equipment or REI gift certificate, etc.)
After four years of medical,school bills, I would suggest gift cards for needed things. How much are you planning to spend?
"people still give them as gifts, this seems like the kind of occasion for a very nice pen. "
I come from the generation where you gave a nice pen for an occasion, but right now we have several Montblanc and Cartier pens just sitting in boxes in a drawer til I figure out how best to sell them. A doctor isn’t really going to be able to use a nice pen everyday - it will get lost. I wish it were different but I think lifestyles have changed and a nice pen, however beautifully made, isn’t the keepsake it used to be.
In addition to pens, my doctor husband received monogrammed cuff links and nice brass bookends. The bookends are useful; the cuff links sit in a drawer as well.
I echo things that can be used (or gift cards to nice restaurants) vs “Doctor keepsakes.”
Not thinking of “Doctor keepsakes” either. This is one occasion where a ‘consumable’ gift doesn’t seem quite right. If he were a woman, I’d get her a simple, classic pair of earrings from Tiffany–something quite special to keep and mark the occasion. He is a bit sentimental, so I think he’d appreciate that type of gift. Men are hard for me to buy for! I may go with cuff links but nothing feels perfect just yet.
What about a super nice leather bag…big enough for an Ipad, keys, change of clothes (although not huge like a duffle bag either). My brother (anesthesiologist) has one like this and uses it all the time. He will have a locker somewhere so it would be locked up. He will have lots of reference books and study books he will be bringing with him every day so it might be nice to have a bag to lug it all around with. I agree about the pen…it would be misplaced within days.
http://www.thefryecompany.com/logan-messenger/d/42791C2370?CategoryId=213
Most med students already have a nice quality stethoscope but he may appreciate having two of them. He will have such craziness that it might be nice to always have one in the car or at home AND at the hospital. It is very hard to just keep up with one.
Also… something that may be more practical (but again, check…because he may already have it). A subscription to UpToDate (available on mobile apps, ipad and PC/laptop platform). This is a fantastic drug and disease reference that he will find greatly useful. Epocrates is another good one as well. Both of these cost anywhere from $99-300 but will be used a lot. UpToDate is the better one of the two. It provides a thorough summary of the latest evidence based information and recommendations as well as a great patho review.
My son is a musician…he has French cuff shirts. He uses cuff links.but only when he wears a tuxedo.
Most men do NOT use cuff links. Like PG’s husband, mine has his keepsake, engraved cufflinks in a drawer…someplace. He never uses them. Waste of money.
What about a nice watch? I know many young people don’t use them as often, but a classic nice watch would be a nice gift. OTOH Maybe his parents are getting him that!
I think computer bags, and leather satchels are a very personal choice. I wouldn’t get that either.
My daughter doesn’t lug around any reference books…she has an iPad for that. Most med school students today are using reference books in electronic format.
What bout my favorite gift ever…a nice wallet? You could then out a couple of gift cards or some cash in it for his enjoyment.
How much do you want to spend? Maybe he would appreciate a nice leather chair on which to relax.
The hospital where he works may already have a subscription to Epocrates and/or UpToDate that he can have access to. So you may want to check that out first.
A leather satchel is nice but that’s very personal in terms of preferences - it’s like buying a woman a handbag.
Thinking about this for D for next year.
$$ or a trip
If it was a nephew I would look for an experience or $$ (unless he will not have any loans).
A tasting menu at a fancy restaurant with a friend or a hot air balloon ride …getting info from his mom as to his likes and dislikes.
I gave this to D. I had it personalized with her name, M.D, her med school and graduation date, and her residency location. It is in a very special place at her apartment – inside a drawer in her spare bedroom. Good thing I gave her a big check, too. She used part of the money for a rescue dog. She loves that dog more than anything, so I guess it was a perfect gift. I would stick with money or gift cards.
Great story hrh. Our daughter has a gorgeous frame from undergrad school for her diploma. It was about $150. Her diploma is hanging in it…here…in her old childhood bedroom. I am grateful it was a gift from someone else!
We gave her a ticket for a sleeper car from Oakland to Chicago. She loved it.
Agree about experiences…or money. This newly minted MD will have very little money, and not a lot of spare time. I would get him something to enjoy.
To that end, a gift card for a cleaning service for the next year might not be a bad idea.
^love it!
D1 got money to cover her crosscountry moving expenses for residency relocation.
She also got a very nice, vintage bottle of wine. (Which she picked out.)
Her graduation present to herself was 10 days in Tahiti/French Polynesia in the 15 days between graduation and when she had to report to her new residency program.