1st Year Medical Student Gift Guide (2023)

Know someone who’s just been accepted to med school and don’t know what to get them? This gift guide is for you! I hope this makes it easier for you to decide what to buy, or even gives you ideas for yourself! Feel encouraged to send this to everyone who’s asking what to get you (and a huge congrats to you for getting into med school!!). I also just want to say thank you if you decide to get something from this guide – buying through my links allows me to earn a small commission on purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you)!

Scrubs// Figs (nice and tailored for class or clinic, use this link for $20 off) and a few pairs of cheapies for anatomy lab (these are the exact one’s I have)

Anatomy Lab// scalpel blades (most schools use size 20-22) and latex free exam gloves

iPad (Pro or Air) & Apple Pencil// I was skeptical at first because all I had in college was a laptop, but an iPad makes taking notes a lot easier. I use Notability for all my notes and assignments

Standing Desk// you have to take care of yourself so you can take care of other people, and your ergonomics are a key part of that! This was one of my bigger purchases but I’m glad I didn’t skimp out on a good quality standing desk. I also got an exercise ball instead of a chair and some stuff for cable management. I use these to hold my chargers and this to hide larger cables

Yeti Rambler// stays cold for days and doesn’t sweat. They’re worth it—'nuf said

White Leather Sneakers// all around good to have and can be dressed up or down. I wear the On Roger (they come in men’s and women’s) but these are a cheaper option

Littmann Stethoscope// the gold standard

Noise Canceling Headphones// NEED NEED NEED! You’ll have to be able to concentrate for hours for quality studying. I use the Beats Studio3, but I know a lot of people who use AirPods Pros and Bose (Bose is supposed to be the best, but I haven’t personally tried them)

Massage Gift Card// invest in your self care so you can care for others (and your traps will become bricks from studying, so you deserve it)

Suture Kit// it may seem early for something like this, but the sooner you learn to suture the better! Getting comfortable with suturing will allow you to participate during your clinical rotations anytime someone needs stitches (surgery, ER) and are especially good for aspiring surgeons

Scrub Cap// I have a few of these for anatomy lab so my hair doesn’t fall in my face (you don’t want to fix your hair with cadaver and formaldehyde hands). I also got some off Etsy with my favorite sports teams!

Check out my other posts below and here if you’re still on your journey to med school! Let me know if you have any questions or if there are things that helped you during med school that I should add to this list!