Best gift for a new doctor?

January 24, 2022 7:54 AM

A friend overseas just finally took her tests and got certified after 2 years of covid delays. What's a good gift - not a jokey one - for a new GP?
posted by rileyray3000 to Grab Bag (13 answers total)

A diamond necklace? Seriously, huge thanks to your friend -- there's such a great need for GP's.

Here's a serious suggestion: I've noticed that even doctors, nurses, lab techs -- everybody has been wearing the flimsiest, least-protective masks I've seen. Get her a CASE of serious masks - N95's, KN95's, whatever - that she can give to anyone she works with, to protect all of them. Preferably a variety -- she can try different kinds to find what she likes -- and maybe some black ones for formal occasions :)

I'm IN LOVE with my Moldex masks; they have a rippled shape which means the air has a larger surface area to pass through, and they are reusable and very sturdy. Moldex now has a mask model with a special strap that makes it easy to hang the mask around your neck when you don't actively need it.

If you know what shoe size she wears, maybe some Superfeet insoles?
posted by amtho at 8:17 AM on January 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

This isn't specific to a doctor, but a couple of times when we have had friends do Big Things we sent along a bottle of Dom Perignon. It's the sort of crazy thing that someone wouldn't buy for themselves, and its sufficiently rare that toasting with it matches the weight of the occasion.
posted by AgentRocket at 8:21 AM on January 24, 2022 [7 favorites]

When my brother-in-law finished his residency we got him a really nice pen.
posted by genrand at 9:15 AM on January 24, 2022

What does she like doing outside of work? Now more than ever, that's what matters, for everyone's sanity but esp for new doctors.

My best post-residency gift was a sub to Powells Indispensable. When I finished fellowship, an overseas trip (obv not an option right now). But those were the things that said "hey, you are a full person with interests and joys outside of work."
posted by basalganglia at 9:32 AM on January 24, 2022

A gift certificate to a great restaurant in her city or a night at a fabulous hotel in her city. As basal ganglia said, now more than ever people in medicine need to get away from medicine. Buying her something doctor related is kinda like giving your partner a vacuum (maybe thoughtful and practical but also maybe sparking dread more than joy).
posted by namemeansgazelle at 9:57 AM on January 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

One of the best gifts I ever got was a cordless drill. Think about it.
posted by amtho at 11:07 AM on January 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

On the practical-but-fancy side, this woman makes beautiful retractable badge clips sold in her Etsy shop here; she's an anesthesiologist and a prolific costumer so it was a way for her to bring a little joy to her outfits at work. Not sure about shipping outside the US though.
posted by damayanti at 11:42 AM on January 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Gift certificate for nice shoes. There is easy symbolism for the card.

A butterfly or similar point-of-care ultrasound is the kind of thing that many locations don't spring for and is super convenient to have in your pocket. However, some practice settings have better machines (it's a jack of all trades) and it would be redundant.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 11:55 AM on January 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

This might be the world's best penlight.

(There are also penlights aimed specifically at medical folks, fwiw.)
posted by box at 12:04 PM on January 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Mr. Meat got a fire pit when he finished medical school. It's awesome.

We took a trip to Hawaii when he finished residency. It was awesome, but maybe less awesome right now.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 2:37 PM on January 24, 2022

My wife is a GP and got herself a really good stethoscope, although that might be a tad expensive for a gift. I think she got herself this Littmann Stethoscope for about 180$.
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon at 12:50 AM on January 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

New York magazine's The Strategist asked this question and compiled a list of 59 recommendations, which have been divided into self care; food and drink; work-related; wearable; gadgets, and experiential.

Most if not all of the suggestions include docs' comments about why said item was recommended, and there's something for every budget, starting with Dr. Bronner's Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Dark Chocolate ($5 for a 2.93 oz/83g bar) and the Westin Hotel Sleep Well Lavender Balm ($14 for a 3ml rollerball and $17.47 for a 10ml rollerball).
posted by virago at 8:45 PM on January 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

Just because people bring it up all the time, your friend is almost guaranteed to have a stethoscope that they already like. Your ears really do learn the one you train with. There are electronic stethoscopes that are higher end, there is just little reason to get them unless you have hearing loss or want to sample sounds for education.

Since there were a lot of plants on the Strategist list, I have a cactus that was gifted to me by a patient who believed that I was trying to kill her and failed. It is an excellent desk item.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 12:18 PM on January 26, 2022