My parents gave me a “coffee table” book about our home state for my graduation from medical school. I was going OOS for residency and it is a nice memento I still have decades later. Their budget was limited (even without trying to help me with expenses).
MONEY is always appreciated. Even a relatively small amount if that is what your budget dictates will be appreciated.
I wouldn’t bother with a fancy stethoscope- my cardiologist H used the less expensive ones such as found on hospital floors.
As an anesthesiologist I always wanted a watch with minute marks and a second hand for those times I needed to count seconds (digital watches just don’t do it for me- you have to remember numbers instead of a sweep of time). Hard to come by in women’s styles (plus I needed a larger watchband). Pens- no way! I have some of those fancy ones given to me while in practice I never used. We also accumulated quite a few hospital pens H would bring home daily. A good pen will likely get borrowed for a moment and never returned or be lost et al. I have also received leather stuff from my accountant that never got used. It depends on the individual.
Gift cards??? Often there is no time to get to the restaurant gifted to. It could be inconveniently located.
business card holder - not needed during residency - might be useful for the distant future, though
4)watches - difficult in some circumstances - depends on specialty - not good if washing hands 50x/day or in OR most of the day
money clip - personal choice but I don’t see young people carrying cash these days
good wallet or gift cards **** best recommendation **** could give small denominations to lunch or coffee places near his future main hospital or splurge for a gift card to best restaurant in his new city.
For women, yes to a good pair of classic small Tiffany earrings.
OP here. Thanks for all the great feedback. I seem to be stuck on giving him something he can keep. I like the idea that, many years down the road, he could hold something that his aunt, uncle and cousins gave him when he started his medical career.
A gift card, while very practical, doesn’t seem to work for me. A nice watch might do that, as would a money clip. There’s also a belt buckle on the Tiffany website but I’m having trouble linking it. Not sure it would be his style, although it is quite classic.
Maybe I should do both a restaurant card and a momento. As far as how much we’re willing to spend, maybe $200 to $300. I’m at a loss when it comes to shopping for a watch…
For a man, a collection of fun neckties might be a good gift (or as the fun part of a larger gift). A friend who is a doctor wears these silly ties and the patients really like them.
Just got an email this morning that all of IA ties are now officially on ties.com! They are quality ties. I have one of their silk scarves with antibodies. Fun conversation piece!
I asked D and she said money, a nice pair of slippers, a trip. Her GF’s parents send her a box a week of food from some company and she loves it. She always has snacks available.
A waterproof or at least water resistant watch with a second hand seems like a nice gift for the right md. Gave my allergist a lovely one for Christmas and she was VERY touched.
How about two very nice leather belts…one black and one brown? A good belt can really be expensive. This might be one of those things a new resident would really appreciate…and use…when they are not wearing scrubs.
I guess what my wife decided to buy last summer was an outlier: A blender. This is what she knows and has experience with. So this was what she bought, even though it was for someone (not DS, but someone DS knows) who would be a resident.
Maybe this aunt could give a nice leather wallet (with a little cash in it…like $100), get nice belts, and that would be within the $200-$300 price range.
They are quality ties. I have one of their silk scarves with antibodies. Fun conversation piece!