20 Gifts for Medical Students (Under $25)

It’s no secret that hospitals are full of germs. Having some moisturizing travel hand sanitizers to keep in your scrubs pocket can be a life-saver. The product shown smells amazing and comes with its own travel case. It’s also environmentally-friendly and the container is refillable.

Any hospital employee will tell you a retractable ID holder is a must. And these cute felt retractable ID clips are perfect for any med student. They come in lots of shapes and themes, so you can get your med student something personal to represent the medical specialty they’re most passionate about.

Coffee is a med student essential. And any medical student loves an excuse for a special treat at their favorite coffee shop, it’s the perfect pick-me-up. Find out if there’s a local coffee shop at their hospital that sells gift cards (oftentimes there is). Otherwise, Starbucks is always a good option.

It’s nice to have a separate tote bag for the hospital. Depending on what rotation they’re on, medical students often have to carry textbooks, laptops, packed lunches, and a change of clothes or scrubs with them to clinic. A special hospital tote bag is definitely a life-saver to help keep all their clinical supplies in one place to make they don’t forget anything important.

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, Target and Papier have some gorgeous options. Otherwise another good, quality option is linked to the left. And this one is pocket-sized for lightweight travel.

Again, caffeine is essential for almost any thriving med student. But those trips to the hospital coffee shop can add up fast if you’re not careful. 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 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.

Anatomy is one of the more difficult courses for first and second year medical students. Netter’s Anatomy Coloring Book is a great (and fun) way for students to study up on their anatomical identification skills. It also includes text explanations of the organ systems and their locations. It’s like a textbook, but better.

Hospitals are full of germs, and smells. StinkBalm was invented by a nurse to apply under the nose, helping mask the strong odors medical student’s will sometimes encounter in clinic. From the emergency department to surgery rotations to GI clinic, this simple trick will come in handy. Definitely get them a multi-pack.

Socks are always a practical gift idea, but there’s no reason they can’t also be fun. A fun pair of medical themed novelty socks is perfect under a pair of scrubs or for keeping cozy while studying at home.

Atul Gawande is a surgeon and author who’s best selling book Being Mortal explores our relationship with aging, dying, and modern medicine. The book is incredibly eye-opening and a favorite in the medical community. If you’re on the path for a career in medicine and haven’t read this book, you should.

A water bottle is a hospital necessity, and one with a fruit infuser is even better. Med students can fill the infuser in the morning with their favorite frozen fruit for a refreshing treat that will last all day. It’s not a bad way to get a few extra daily vitamins in.

Hospitals get chilly, but medical students aren’t usually allowed to wear their normal sweatshirts on rotation. And when working with patients, your clothes will get dirty anyways. It’s best to have a separate scrub jacket for clinic. It keeps students looking professional, especially if it matches the color of their other scrubs. Some hospitals require students to wear a specific color of scrubs, so make sure you get the right color if this is the case. There are usually plenty of color options to choose from.

Medical students are science nerds. And those long clinical rotations will leave them in need a serotonin boost (a neurotransmitter associated with happiness). This sterling silver serotonin necklace is a perfect little gift for a med student.

SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan. It’s a template guide to help medical professionals remember the important information they need to keep note of on all their patients. A pocket-sized patient progress notebook is perfect for medical students needing to keep track of multiple cases. Someday, they’ll have the template memorized. But as a student, it’s nice to still have the notebook template to help guide you.

While students are still learning all the nitty gritty details of medicine, a mini pocket reference book is essential (and often encouraged by attendings). This compact reference guide includes diagnostic tests, reference values, and other important medical values and information. It’s a huge life-saver on rotations.

Clinic shifts can be long for a medical student. Outlets can be hard to come by in the hospital, and phone chargers for those outlets are even harder to come by. A pack of portable power banks to keep their phones charged on rotation is a small luxury students will really appreciate.

This chemical caffeine mug is perfect for nerdy medical students (which, honestly, is most medical students). Again, coffee is essential for medical school and a fun mug is always a great little gift. They can keep it in the clinic break room to show off to their coworkers, or they can keep it at home for their morning brew.

Med students will spend many late nights studying. A lap desk is super handy for cozy study sessions in bed or on the couch. This one comes with non-slip support bars to keep your laptop stable as well as a smaller slot for phones. It’s also designed to keep the airflow going around your laptop so it doesn’t overheat.

All the hand washing and alcohol sanitizers medical students need on a daily basis can be less than kind to their skin, especially in winter. It’s a common problem for many medical professionals, so lots of clinics and hospitals keep generic lotion in the break rooms for staff. But it’s usually not very good quality. Quality pocket sized hand lotions can be perfect for dry, cracked hands.