After medical school, residency, and a fellowship, doctors spend at least 7+ years training to become skilled in diagnosing, comforting, treating, and healing their patients. Their 50 or 60-hour work weeks, plus the work-related stress, shows that it’s essential to thank doctors their dedication. That makes a Doctors’ Day gift all the more important.
Every March 30th, we show our gratitude to physicians by celebrating National Doctor’s Day. This holiday is an opportunity for communities to join together to honor the commitment of skilled physicians who work tirelessly to keep us healthy and thriving.
Whether you are the health organization that employs them or an individual who just loves their doctor, a thoughtful gift can be the perfect way to demonstrate appreciation and admiration. To help you search for the perfect gift, we’ve put together a guide with our favorite 25 Doctors Day gifts to honor the medical professionals in your life. Here they are:
25 Doctor Day Gift Ideas for 2024
Doctors’ Day Gift Cards
While a gift card might seem impersonal, they continue to be popular because people simply like receiving them. A gift card can be the perfect way to honor a doctor because it allows customization when you do not know what they need or want. Simply select a gift card somewhere you know they like, and let them pick what they want. Doing so will demonstrate you know their interests while also ensuring the gift is useful.
To ensure they get something they like, when you send a Doctors’ Day card with Kudoboard, your healthcare hero can select where they would like to redeem it. They’ll have hundreds of options for retailers all over the world, and are sure to find a place they love.
If you decide to go with the old fashioned way, here are some gift card ideas for your doctor:
1. Coffee Shop Gift Card
Fuel their long shifts with a gift card to their favorite coffee shop, ensuring they stay energized throughout the day.
2. Bookstore Gift Card
Get them to look outside of their anatomy textbooks and medical journals to unwind with a good book. Give them a gift card to a local bookstore or their preferred online retailer.
3. Spa or Massage Gift Card
With the weight of their patients on their shoulders, doctors definitely need some time to massage it out. Help them relax and rejuvenate with a spa or massage gift card, providing a well-deserved break from their demanding schedules.
4. Restaurant Gift Card
Treat them to a delicious meal at a fancy restaurant or a casual eatery, allowing them to indulge in culinary delights outside work.
5. Online Retailer Gift Card
Give them the freedom to choose their own gift by giving them a gift card to a popular online retailer, such as Amazon, or their preferred shopping platform.
6. Gift Card for Their Hobby
Doctors are busy and may need more time to get out and do the activities they enjoy. Letting them enjoy their hobby on their schedule is a great way to encourage balance and bring a little bit of joy to their life. From golf to dance class, a gift certificate for their hobby will surely leave them feeling refreshed.
Read More: 30 Doctors Day Ideas to Celebrate and Appreciate on 3/30
Physical Doctors’ Day Gifts
There are some great options for times you wish to give something tangible to them. From a practical gift that can help make work easier, gourmet food, or a fun gift to make life a little more enjoyable, here are some tangible gifts to celebrate a doctor:
7. Personalized Scrubs
Personalize their work attire with embroidered scrubs featuring their name, adding a touch of personality to their wardrobe.
8. Stethoscope
While a little cliche, a physician’s most used tool is a stethoscope. What better way to thank them than to upgrade this frequently used tool with the latest and greatest?
9. Stethoscope Charm
Add some flair to their stethoscope with a stylish charm or tag, showcasing their unique sense of style while they work. Incorporating a personal element like a hobby or favorite animal into this gift can make it all the more sentimental.
10. High-Quality Pen
Elevate their writing experience with a fancy, high quality pen. It will make note-taking and signing documents a more enjoyable task, even if you still can’t read their handwriting afterwards.
11. Noise-Canceling Headphones
Help them create find peace in a noisy and chaotic hospital environment, allowing them to focus and concentrate without distractions. There are a variety of brand available, often at various price points.
12. Healthy Snack Basket or Snack Subscription
Provide them with a selection of nutritious snacks to keep them fueled during long shifts, promoting wellness and vitality. Whether it is a basket of snacks or a subscription box that shows up in the office once a month, they will have delicious snacks to enjoy on a hard day.
13. Medical Equipment Upgrade
If they have been getting by with outdated or continually breaking equipment, now is the time to upgrade. Updating their equipment demonstrates appreciation and will likely create a better patient experience in the long term.
14. Portable Phone Charger
Ensure they stay connected throughout the day with a portable phone charger, eliminating the stress of a dead battery during critical moments. Doctors are humans too, and sometimes even they forget to charge their phones.
15. Smartwatch
A sleek smartwatch combines functionality with style to help them stay organized and track their health and fitness goals.
16. Personalized Water Bottle
Keep them hydrated on the go with a customized water bottle featuring their name. This will encourage them to prioritize self-care without the worry of it getting lost or used by someone else. We love Stanley or Hydroflask, but there are plenty of options out there.
17. High-Quality Jacket
From warming them while they commute to and from work to protecting them from chilly hospital hallways, a good jacket can make for the perfect Doctor’s Day gift. If you’re representing a large healthcare org, adding your personal branding is a nice touch.
Read More: Celebrating our Women in Medicine
Intangible Doctors’ Day Gifts
A doctor’s career is filled with a variety of needs and pressures. Various intangible items can help alleviate stress, show your appreciation, or invest in their continuing education to demonstrate an understanding of the unseen needs they might have. Some of these items include:
18. Personalized Thank-You eCard
A good physician can literally be life-saving. While all gifts can show gratitude, why not use this as an opportunity to remind them just how much you appreciate them? Express your heartfelt appreciation with a thank-you eCard from Kudoboard, full of Doctors’ Day quotes and wishes detailing the positive impact they’ve had on your life or the lives of others.
19. Virtual Wellness Session
Treat them to a virtual wellness session, such as yoga or meditation classes, to help them unwind and de-stress after a busy day. You can also hire someone to bring wellness services on site, if space permits.
20. Speech-to-Text Medical Software
Doctors spend hours outside of patient encounters working on administrative tasks such as recording appointment notes on a patient’s chart. Help reduce this time by gifting speech-to-text software designed to help them, like Dragon or Otter.ai.
21. Professional Development Course
Invest in their professional growth by offering access to a continuing education course or workshop relevant to their medical specialty. These can also include funds to attend a conference or workshop in their field.
22. Subscription to Medical Journals
Keep them informed and up-to-date with the latest medical advancements by gifting them a subscription to a reputable medical journal or publication.
23. Membership in a Professional Organization
Enhance their professional network and resources by covering the cost of a membership to a relevant medical association or society.
24. Time Off
Give them the gift of time by offering to cover a shift or provide additional time off. This will allow them to recharge and spend quality time with their loved ones. Because Doctors are needed around the clock, adding an extra PTO day can be a meaningful gesture to improve their work-life balance.
25. Hire out a Daily Task
Ease their workload and stress by hiring out some of their daily work tasks or errands outside work. Ideas of tasks you could hire someone for include:
- House Cleaning
- Car Detailing
- Personal/Virtual Assistant
- Medical Scribe
- Meal subscription service
- Grocery delivery
Tips for Gifting on Doctors’ Day
- Consider Their Preferences: Take the time to understand their interests, hobbies, and preferences so that you can select an appreciation gift that aligns with their personality and lifestyle. This will guarantee that they feel seen and appreciated.
- Focus on Quality: While it is better to give something than nothing if your budget allows, try to prioritize quality over quantity, opting for items that are well-made and built to last.
- Remain Professional: Doctor’s Day is an opportunity for anyone to thank a doctor. However, it is important to give according to the relationship and remain professional. For example, if you are a patient, keep it simple and inexpensive. In these situations, the best gift you can give is a heartfelt Thank you note. So, when selecting a gift, keep it professional.
- Think Beyond Material Gifts: Consider intangible gifts or experiences that promote wellness, relaxation, and personal growth, providing them with valuable resources to enhance their well-being.
- Express Gratitude: No matter the gift, it is always a good idea to include a heartfelt note expressing your gratitude and admiration for their dedication, compassion, and expertise. In the end, reminding our doctors how much we appreciate them is the real purpose of the holiday.
Celebrate Your Doctor with a Gift—Big or Small
This Doctors’ Day, let’s show appreciation for the incredible individuals who devote their lives to caring for others. Whether a small token of gratitude or a grand gesture of appreciation, your thoughtful gift will undoubtedly make a meaningful impact and brighten their day.
Send a Doctors’ Day group card to show your appreciation
Create a personalized card, invite coworkers and patients to leave thoughtful messages, then send automatically on 3/30
People Also Asked about Doctors’ Day
When is Doctors’ Day?
National Doctors’ Day is on March 30 every year.
How do I know what’s a good gift?
While tangible gifts are great, the best gift you can give a doctor is to remind them of their value to you and the community. It matters less about what the gift is and more about its intent. Therefore, if your gift is personalized, makes their life easier, or tells them thank you, then you have an excellent gift.
What is the flower of National Doctors Day?
Red carnations were adopted as the official flower when the national holiday was established in 1958. Since then, doctors have received a red carnation to symbolize their sacrifice, charity, courage, and love.
When did Doctors’ Day begin?
Doctor’s Day was declared a national holiday by Congress in 1958. It is celebrated yearly on March 30th, the day the first anesthetic for surgery was administered in 1842.
