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Most of the doctors and nurses we’ve talked to over the years have told us that the best gifts they’ve gotten from patients are sincere thank-you notes. But that still might not feel like enough for the pediatrician who taught your child how to say “stethoscope,” the dentist who tucks an extra toothbrush into every goodie bag, or the dermatologist who helped clear up your butt acne. So we polled a panel of medical professionals for their sound advice on what to get a doctor when you want to give a little something more. Their recommendations run the gamut from luxe lotion for their over-washed hands to Bluetooth speakers for the operating room.
Update on October 11, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Best self-care gifts for doctors
Because wearing personal-protective equipment on the daily can be harsh on the skin, a moisturizing cream can work wonders to soothe irritation. Lina Velikova, a clinical immunologist and medical adviser at Supplements 101, recommends First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair, which is safe for sensitive skin.
Constant washing and Purell-ing between shifts means rough hands — so having a rich hand cream is essential. Dentist Michelle Lee likes Kiehl’s salve, which features hydrating ingredients like shea butter and avocado and sesame seed oils.
Or go for the ultrarich Cutemol cream, which is nicer-looking than a tub of O’Keefe’s Working Hands. A favorite of dermatologist Brendan Camp, who calls it an “on-brand” present to give, considering his profession, Cutemol is made for severely dry skin and also works well for anyone with eczema or psoriasis.
Humble Vaseline — the best lip balm around — is what Marisa Garshick, dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, gives fellow doctors to help with cracked hands and chapped lips. This giftable set comes with four different scents, each with their own purpose: aloe for light hydration, cocoa butter for conditioning, nourishing vitamin E, and the original that’s pure petroleum jelly.
Garshick, who regularly wears heels to work, is a true believer in the “podiatric miracle” of Baby Foot. If you’re close enough to your doc that it won’t be too awkward to gift them a foot resurfacing, the Japanese exfoliating mask will take care of dead skin cell buildups and smooth out the wear and tear.
Lee recommends yoga as an outlet to release tension and tightness (along with addressing the lower-body issues that come from standing all day). A high-quality yoga mat, like this yogi-approved Manduka, would be fitting for the specialist who pops in a quick downward dog between patients or takes full Vinyasa class over the weekend.
Podiatrist Velimir Petkov always keeps potted plants in the office — the greenery gives some much-needed color among all the neutrals, and lessens the stress among staffers. A busy schedule (and a potential lack of natural light) calls for a hard-to-kill, easy-to-care-for snake plant.
Plastic surgeon Constance M. Chen once received a year’s worth of monthly flower deliveries from a patient and found them “incredibly uplifting.” Bouqs Co. is one of our favorite flower-delivery services and offers three giftable subscription tiers — original for 10 stems, deluxe for 20 to 32 stems, and grand for up to 45 stems — and creates arrangements out of cut-to-order, straight-from-the-farm buds.
A calming diffuser with essential oils can provide a quick pick-me-up for a stressed-out doc, according to Nada Milosavljevic, founder of the Integrative Health Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Vitruvi makes an especially handsome one (that onscreen doctor Ellen Pompeo uses in her trailer), and you can pair it with an essential-oil set that features energizing grapefruit and comforting lavender scents.
Sleeping during the day is a fact of life when dealing with routine late-night shifts. Nodpod’s “weighted blanket for your eyes” is what emergency medicine physician Wallace McKinney uses to fall asleep faster.
Another welcome addition for their sleep routine: a knee pillow that ensures their legs, hips, and spine are aligned throughout the night, keeping back pain at bay the next day. Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield can’t live without it — especially since it’s inflatable and easy to take on the go.
For something a little luxurious, give them a silk pillowcase, which helps prevent wrinkles and is less damaging to hair than a cotton pillowcase. Quince makes this elegant one that’s half the price of Slip’s status-y pillowcase and just as sumptuous, according to our beauty writer Tembe Denton-Hurst.
After catching internist Holly Phillips rubbing her neck and shoulders, a patient gifted her this heating pad that’s lined in crushed gemstones (amethyst, tourmaline, and obsidian) to emit infrared rays. It comes with its own remote control, and doesn’t get as hot as traditional heating pads so she can rest sore muscles for longer without burning up.
To get in some moments of mindfulness (or to make a habit of having them) psychologist Jaci Lopez Witmer recommends this meditation cushion, which will support posture when practicing deep-breathing exercises.
In not-so-shocking news, electric massagers were a popular suggestion to counteract what Lee describes as the “awkward and strained postures in our profession.” With Hyperice’s Hypervolt multi-speed massage gun, she can relieve her sore muscles at home.
Dentist Matthew Asaro also recommended a massage gun. He likes the miniature version of the powerful Theragun to release stiff shoulders and ease back pain after a day of hunching over someone’s pearly whites.
For a more hands-on approach, this hook gets out knots with numbered knobs for different trigger points — “1” for the back, “2” for the shoulders, and so on. Author Ottessa Moshfegh uses it for her chronic back pain, and director Daniel Kwon relies on it for relieving neck tension.
Velikova turns to the simple foot massager after spending all day on her feet. It comes outfitted with acupuncture nubs for aching arches and can be conveniently tucked underneath a desk as a footrest between uses.
Best food and drink gifts for doctors
You can’t go wrong with a big basket of fruit, nuts, cheese, and crackers — Petkov points out that since a basket is shareable, the staff of an office can snack on it together. (There are “additional health-care workers involved in getting you better besides your doctor,” he reminds.) This one is packaged in a bronze box with gold ribbon and includes pepper-and-onion relish, chocolate truffles, three-seed crackers, and a sharp cheddar.
Plastic surgeons John Paul Tutela and Gary Linkov, reproductive endocrinologist Thomas A. Molinaro, and dermatologist Heidi Waldorf all brought up gifting bars of chocolate. Waldorf will share hers with colleagues “in a moment between patients or while sitting in on an administrative meeting or academic lecture.” More unexpected than Godiva or Ghirardelli, this delicious bundle of six bars from Dr. Bronner’s features delicious fillings like coconut praline and peppermint (plus, the brand name will get a laugh).
Though it might not be an obvious “doctor gift,” dermatologist Erum Ilyas once received a popcorn maker that she loves because it’s so easy to fire up for a quick snack and also makes the office smell delightful. (This Dash model comes with a measuring cup to melt butter in true, movie-theater concession-stand fashion.)
Giving a bottle of good booze or fine wine came up again and again. Bariatric surgeon Daniel J. Rosen favors Johnnie Walker: “It makes me look like a superstar if I roll in with a bottle of Blue Label to a party.”
Psychiatrist Aliza Rabin raves about her Ember self-heating mug, which can be a workhorse on busy days when there isn’t time to finish a cup of coffee in one sitting. The brand’s newer tumbler design holds 16 ounces and will keep drinks hot for up to three hours on one charge.
A sleek water bottle will serve as a necessary reminder to stay hydrated, as according to Penzi, it’s “often easy to forget to take care of ourselves” when seeing a rotation of patients. The Owala FreeSip is a Strategist staffer favorite for its hidden straw.
Or go for the just-released Slim Bottle from Stanley, which features a removable collar that can be filled up with ice cubes and the brand’s double-wall vacuum insulation — so they’ll always have a cold sip at the ready.
Best work-related gifts for doctors
Unsurprisingly surgeons like blades, says neuroscientist Rahul Jandial. The all-purpose No.6 from Opinel is a classic — Picasso used it to sculpt, Jandial points out — and will make opening up even an Amazon box feel special. (Tip: You can get the handle personalized for $6 when you buy from Opinel directly.)
“Even in the age of electronic records, doctors do lots of writing, according to anesthesiologist Goldie Winge. Instead of picking up a pack at the drugstore, get the elegant Baron Fig rollerball, which topped our ranking of the 100 best pens and will “dance across the page.”
To jot down thoughts and document observations the old-fashioned way, Velikova suggests this portfolio outfitted with pockets for a pen, phone, IDs, cards, and papers.
Emergency-medicine specialist Jeremy Rothfeld keeps a journal, stethoscope, hospital pass, and power bars inside this briefcase, which he’s been sporting since his residency.
Best wearable gifts for doctors
These colorful Italian surgeon clogs are a favorite of facial surgeon Michael Yuan, who calls them a cross between Danskos and Crocs for their acupressure footbeds.
Dermatologist Hadley King’s hands tend to be cold during routine skin exams, so one of patients jokingly presented her with a pair of long underwear to wear under scrubs. We like that this top from Terramar (a brand we’ve heard about from outdoorsy folks) is made of non-itchy silk instead of wool.
A clean set of scrubs is essential — and Figs came up again and again. Gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal describes them as easy to clean when it’s time to do laundry, while Inna Chern of New York General Dentistry calls hers “chic, fun, and comfortable.”
Or consider a set from AirMed, which former Strategist senior editor Chelsea Peng bought for her brother, a first-year resident. His colleagues constantly ask where to get them, because instead of the standard, hospital-issued set — which Peng describes as sad and baggy — these are better-fitting, with tops cut more like T-shirts and slimmer jogger-style pants with cargo pockets.
Best gadget gifts for doctors
Plastic surgeon Melissa Doft relies on a portable Bluetooth speaker for listening to music in the operating room. The Wonderboom is one of the best around — waterproof and simple to connect, with clear sound.
Although they’ll be the first to espouse the benefits of exercise, busy doctors often don’t have time to work out. A Fitbit is what holds family doctor Amber Robins accountable for getting her steps in, and the latest Charge 6 includes features like a stress management score and compatibility with fitness equipment to show your heart rate in real-time.
If you’re buying a gift for a derm (or any doc who’s into skin care), dermatologist Debra Jaliman likes this mini-fridge for storing essentials like eye creams, so their floral facial mist or under-eye mask will feel even more refreshing.
Best experiential gifts for doctors
Gift a good night’s sleep with an e-gift card for a custom pillow from Pluto. Xin Kang, a psychiatrist with the Los Angeles County Department of Health, raved about the brand, which has customers take a short quiz about how they sleep and creates a made-to-order pillow to match their preferences.
Waldorf suggests a “generous gift certificate” to a delivery service like DoorDash so that when they get home late after a long day, they won’t have to bother with making dinner.
Michael Chen, an internal medical physician with the cancer-screening start-up Ezra, suggests a meditation class for dealing with stress. With this gift card, they can access meditation, relaxation, and sleeping programs on the Calm app from their phone.
A number of doctors told us they’d like a gift certificate to indulge in some form of R&R — whether it’s a massage, a mani-pedi, or a facial. A Spafinder gift card will let them select the service of their choice from hundreds of locations nationwide.
Additional reporting by Lori Keong and Karen Iorio Adelson
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