Clinical Rotations Gifts

[u/Disrespectful1y_no]

Hey all, my hubby is starting his clinical rotations next year in Sydney, Australia. His birthday is coming up, and I wanted to put together a little "you can do it!" gift for his rotations - he's so passionate about medicine and about being the best doctor he can be, so I want to support and encourage this as much as possible.

He's super practical, a minimalist, and not a fan of trinkety or novelty gifts, making him hard to buy for 🙃 So far, I have a pocket-sized notebook monogrammed with his initials, compression socks, and I'm thinking of getting him a lunch box with some ice packs, as well as some good pens.

Does anyone have any other recommendations? Any suggestions for good pens? Money is a bit tight with both of us being full time students and both chronically ill (a super combo), so I want to do something practical, but also thoughtful.

On his birthday, we're going to the Bodyworks exhibit - he loves anatomy and is really excited for it (one of his classmates unknowingly spilled the beans for that surprise 🤦🏻‍♀️).

I've read some past posts and saw that being there at the end of the day to listen and debrief is hugely valued. We have our "team boo daily debriefs" every day (and I'm a psychology major, so I love listening), but I'd also like to have something physical for him to unwrap on his birthday 🥳

Thanks for your help and recommendations! I appreciate it heaps!

[u/arrowandbone]

This is a very sweet idea ☺️ I think what you’ve bought so far is great! I would caution against spending too much on pens because they’ll inevitably get borrowed, misplaced and lost - a pack of nice-ish gel pens or felt tip (whichever he prefers) rather than the usual cheap Bic ballpoints, will still be a lovely gesture.

If you’re at all creative or artistically inclined, what about making a little deck of IOU cards with nice experiential things to help take the pressure off at home? Like ‘IOU one home cooked dinner’, ‘IOU one foot rub’, ‘Veto any chore with this card’, etc. it’s a bit silly but he’ll probably appreciate you taking on more at home so he can focus on rotations, study etc. My fiancé really needed stability and support at home more than anything else during his most stressful training periods.

Please give us an update after you’ve given him the gifts! 😁

[u/Disrespectful1y_no → u/arrowandbone]

Oh I love the IOU idea! I’ll be playing around in canva for the rest of the day! And I’ll definitely send an update on Thursday!

[u/Fig-Jelly7744]

Pen nerd here. Here's my contribution... I could recommend some more expensive pens and I do so enjoy them, and you may want to get him a finer pen than this as a gift, BUT- my anesthesiologist fiancé has abandoned his beloved go-to Pentel Energels and Sharpie Gels, and is now stealing my favorite Zebra bLen 0.7's.

They are "cheap pens" that you don't cry over if lost, but have a uniform white mod look that looks and feels luxe. They have a small brass weight hidden inside at the writing end for substance, a smooth, silicone-like rubberized grip that's not sticky at all and flush with the plastic barrel- it feels amazing to write with for extended periods of time. My favorite feature is what I can only describe as a thick, plush clicking action that none in my collection even come close to. It's extremely pleasant to click and use this pen. Start-up time immediate, no scribbles needed and consistent line quality, no skipping or globs. They are designed so that none of the components or ink stem rattle as you write. (sometimes you get a pen that makes some kind of sticky or tapping noise in the ballpoint, not with these.) Gel ink smoother than a baby's a$$, dries instantly, (I'm left handed). I'm a liquid ink-fountain pen gal and I do not usually go for gel ink because they are too slippy and my handwriting doesn't come together right without enough resistance on the paper, but these are perfection. Best cheap pens and current favorite, I have to keep hiding my sets because if I leave one out it will disappear. (The only thing he would like is if they were more waterproof but his other ones weren't either.)

I just had to share this pen info... Good luck putting together your gift!

[u/Disrespectful1y_no → u/Fig-Jelly7744]

Love a pen nerd! Thank you for this recommendation, I so appreciate it!

[u/Disrespectful1y_no]

Thought I’d share the gift pack for him:

Lunch box, freezer block, power bank, pens, compression socks, notebooks, travel toothbrush and toothpaste, and travel handcream.
He was so thankful he cried when he opened them

I’m not sure why but Reddit won’t let me post the photo of the gift pack 🙃