The Ultimate Med Student Gift Guide: 20 Gifts for Medical Students

Every doctor needs a quality stethoscope and 3M’s Littmann line is known by every medical professional to be the best of the best. If your med student doesn’t have one already, they need one. For a special touch, many websites also offer engraving services.

Noise-cancelling headphones are essential for focused studying, especially if a student studies primarily at home or in other shared spaces. The new Apple AirPods Pro have active noise-cancelling technology, but there are many other options on the market as well. Just be sure the headphones are wireless.

Most students wear cheap scrubs on a daily basis, but every med student should have at least one nice pair of scrubs. And FIGS are the trendy, “fancy” scrubs med students dream of. When they’re working with a doctor they particularly want to impress or meeting a department head they’re hoping to get a letter of recommendation from, a good pair of FIGS will keep them looking sharp. If you don’t know their size, FIGS also has gift cards.

UWorld is the most popular study resource for medical board exams (USMLE). An online subscription includes flashcards, customizable practice exams, performance tracking, and more. Keep in mind that USMLE Step 1 is taken the end of a student’s second year of medical school and USMLE Step 2 is taken the end of a student’s third year of medical school. So make sure you purchase the correct subscription.

Every medical student needs a quality coffee machine for home. Between early morning surgeries and overnight shifts, caffeine will be a necessity (and those hospital coffee shop stops add up fast). A good home coffee maker will save them time and money.

Med students often keep a separate pair of hospital shoes (usually because of how germy hospital shoes can get). And these shoes get a lot of wear. The average nurse takes well over 15,000 steps a day, and the average med student on rotation is probably similar. Make sure they have a quality pair of comfortable walking shoes for the hospital.

Medical students are usually gifted a white coat from their medical school their first year. But these white coats are notoriously ill-fitting (especially for tall or husky male students). The coats at the link below include extended sizes for big and tall. Just remember that medical students wear short white coats as shown, and not long white coats (not until they graduate as doctors).

For first and second year medical student especially, an iPad or tablet is essential for note-taking. Most students use OneNote, a free app with a student Microsoft subscription. But there are plenty of other note-taking apps with special features. Digital note-taking allows med students to take notes directly onto lecture PowerPoints, draw diagrams, and upload their notes so they can be available on all their devices.

For students that study primarily from home, a comfortable desk chair is a necessity. Med students will likely be spending 9-12 hours a day sitting at their desk. And surprisingly few medical students think to invest in a quality desk chair. Make sure their chair is comfortable, they will appreciate it (and will probably regret not thinking of that sooner).

First and second year medical students have an exam nearly every 3 weeks. There is a lot of material to keep up with, and a good academic planner can make all the difference. For the artsy med student, Papier has some gorgeous options. Otherwise another good, quality option is linked below.

Again, caffeine is essential for almost any thriving med student. And bringing coffee from home will save a student a lot of time and money. So make sure they have a few quality travel mugs.

For students that study at home, desk space is precious. A wireless charging station keeps all their devices charged and clears up a ton of space. Once you have a wireless charging station and get rid of all those cords, it’s hard to go back. And this one stores pencils and other writing utensils as well.

For obvious reasons, hospitals are full of germs and hand sanitizer is a must. But hospital hand sanitizer is nothing fancy and usually not very kind to your skin. Having some moisturizing travel hand sanitizers to keep in your scrubs pocket can be a life-saver. The ones linked to the right smell amazing and they’re refillable.

Medical students try not to be on their phones in clinic. But an Apple Watch is a nice way for med students to still receive notifications of important text messages and phone calls, without seeming unprofessional. They’re also great for monitoring steps and fitness, sending quick messages, and checking your clinic schedule.

The med student schedule is incredibly demanding, and many med students have difficulty finding time for grocery shopping and home-cooked meals. A meal kit subscription can help make sure they’re getting a nutritious home-cooked meal at least a few nights a week. Students get to choose the meals each week themselves, and many take less than 30 minutes to make.

Medical school is incredibly stressful, especially while students prepare for their board exams their second and third years. A spa weekend is a perfect gift for any med student. A gift certificate is best so the student can schedule their mini getaway around their academic schedule.

Hospital cafeteria food gets old fast, and most med students don’t have the time to run off-campus for lunch. Packing lunches from home saves a student a lot of time and money, and “bento boxes” are the trendy new hospital essential that make it easy.

Again, for students that study from home, desk space is precious. Simple desktop computer stands and storage containers can clear up a ton of space and can make a huge difference.

For the future surgeon, a practice suture kit is essential. Med students can prepare to impress every attending on their surgery rotation by perfecting their suture skills in their free time at home. The one linked on the right comes with all the supplies they’ll need to master the art of suturing.

For students that already have a quality coffee machine at home, a set of stackable coffee mugs is perfect for a med student apartment. They will be drinking plenty of coffee, so make sure they have plenty of mugs.