Gifts for Healers

Posted on May 16, 2026 by marylbrandt

I started this newsletter/blog years ago as a way to support trainees (medical and other students, residents, and fellows) as well as colleagues. If you’d been here for a while, you’ve probably noticed that my interests have expanded and so have the topics I write about! The expansion of the topics represents a new season in my life and the cool idea I got from Austin Kleon that you should write a newsletter directed to the people you want to meet.

But here’s the thing… trainees and practicing healers are high on that list for me! So I’ve decided that I’ll return to some posts directed at those very special people… like today’s post on hints for people who want to buy you presents. Feel free to forward them the link :-).

In an attempt to educate family and friends (and an interesting way to organize what would otherwise be a somewhat boring list), here’s a look into the average day of a medical trainee. (I’m using a surgery intern as my baseline, but with some variation this schedule applies to just about anyone training to be a healer.)

Wake up too early

“Dark-thirty” is the classic time trainees have to wake up. No matter the actual hour, it’s always early…and it’s hard! Everyone uses their cell phone as an alarm, but some need a bit of extra help…

Sunrise alarm (the light really helps)
For the totally recalcitrant sleeper, this alarm that runs away from you.
Good towels for that too early shower

Caffeinate

If you are a someone who loves the kick start of caffeine in the morning, you need a way to do this well.

An easy coffee maker like Nespresso (and/or gift certificates for the coffee)
Gift certificate to a local coffee or tea shop (I personally try to find one that’s not Starbucks…)

Drive to the hospital

A gift certificate for car washes
A small car vacuum, trash bag, or other accessories to keep their car a little neater

Meet the team, run the list, make morning rounds.

(From the time I asked my team at the hospital to take the pens out of their pockets so I could take a picture of them)

The “scut” (i.e. to do) list is almost always on paper, which is a great opportunity for the perfect pen….and a second (or third cup) of coffee or tea that stays warm until the end of rounds;

Good pen(s)
A box of really cheap pens that they can give to their attendings (who always ask for a pen and never return them)
Insulated coffee mug
A really good water bottle (and a Sharpie to put their name on it!)

Head to your assigned task for the day (OR, procedural suite, clinic, inpatient care)

Comfortable shoes – the link is to a post with my favorites, but there are always new, great shoes that come onto the market and are quickly adopted by people who have to stand on their feet all day. Ask for the latest!

Good socks – I swear by Bombas, but the key concept here is to not skimp.

Spend an inordinate amount of time entering data into a computer

Overhage JM, McCallie D Jr. Physician Time Spent Using the Electronic Health Record During Outpatient Encounters: A Descriptive Study. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Feb 4;172(3):169-174.

A subscription to one of the streaming music services (to get rid of the commercials while you are listening to music)

On a good day, eat the food you brought or bought

It’s cheaper, healthier, and more efficient to bring your own food.

A good lunch box (or two). For just lunch anything will be ok. For call days (multiple meals and snacks) a hard insert slightly larger lunch bag has always been my favorite.
Glass containers to store food in the lunch box (no plastic!!!)

On a not so good day, grab calories on the run

A busy call day means you may not have time to stop. But you’ll need to refuel!

Boxes of healthy (minimally processed) pocket sized food like Kind Bars (or equivalent)
Small bags of nuts, boxes of raisins, etc.
Be creative – mail or deliver a monthly “subscription” of homemade or bought “pocket nutrition”

Afternoon rounds

See above (for morning rounds) – minus the caffeine.

A “Something or nothing” workout

Exercise is ESSENTIAL for so many reasons… but we tend to have an “all or nothing” default when it comes to exercise. We plan a 30-minute stop at the gym on our way home… but then we are 10 minutes late out of the hospital… and then the traffic is bad… so we decide not to go at all. The key is to do something (anything) rather than abandon the workout all together, to shift from “all or nothing” to “something or nothing” as your mindset. Here’s a few gifts that might help in that endeavor…

A membership in the gym that’s closest to them (or better, ask them to tell you which gym will work the best for them)
A bicycle (if they live close enough and this might be a good way to commute)
An eBike (if they don’t live that close)
New running shoes
TRX (or other home fitness equipment)

Some studying

Link to How to Succeed in Residency: Studying

This is exactly the same as exercise! It’s not necessary to complete a review of a topic every day, but it is necessary to study every day. (I’m serious… otherwise you have missed the big memo about life-long learning and being a professional!)

A good desk and an even better chair
Computer upgrade
A second monitor

Some decompression, socialization

This is essential. Downtime with music, visiting with friends, taking a walk outside, or whatever works for you are necessary to reset and heal from our work.

A cleaning service to free up time (and keep their space clean)
A frame loaded (and loadable) with photos of family, friends, beautiful places, memories
Gift certificates to favorite restaurants, local theater, concerts

Dinner at home

Cooking at home for busy folks has to meet the “pizza rule”* – but it’s more than worth it. Cooking for yourself is a great way to care for yourself, eat better, and have leftovers! Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to hack eating well so you don’t find yourself repeatedly getting food delivered (or eating too much fast food)

Instant Pot
Airfryer
Vitamix
Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express cookbook
Paprika recipe app for their computer
Gift certificate for a local company that delivers prepared (healthy) food

*Whatever you decide to cook has to take less time to prepare than it takes to order a pizza.

Sleep

Sleep is foundational.

(Yup, repeated on purpose. Everything is harder if you haven’t slept well… thinking, moving, your mood, your interactions, and maintaining your health.)

Don’t skimp on the things that make it easier to sleep well.

A good mattress, sheets, pillows
Light blocking curtains or shades
A weighted blanket
Sleep mask
Ear plugs (can also be used for loud concerts!)

And some miscellaneous gifts that don’t fit into this schedule!

A basic tool kit for their home
A good on call bag for nights in the hospital
A portable phone charger so they don’t have to find a plug to charge their dying battery on a busy call night

Let me know what else I should add to the list!

Advice for Graduates

Posted on June 15, 2022 by marylbrandt

The following is a guest post from my father, Professor Floyd Brandt.

At the time I decided to retire, I experienced two thoughts: First, I had been in a footrace for several years between retirement and obsolescence. The second thought was the closing line from Stephen Sondheim’s song Send in the Clowns — “Isn’t it rich, isn’t it queer, losing my timing so late my career.” Given the issue of obsolescence, I declared that my retirement was a trip from doing to being and then discovered that being is as challenging as doing, and often more so—learning to pause, meditate, and seek the joys of solitude requires new thoughts and habits.

Many, if not most, professors are inclined to think about what they would say in their Last Lecture and some even write it for the millions who will never read it and for students who will never remember it. My final lecture to my graduate classes could be divided into the pragmatic and the personal—I have included the pragmatic here:

After graduation, be your own professor. Keep asking questions. The quality of your life and the organizations you inhabit are dependent upon the quality of questions posed and answered.

During the interview with a potential employer, ask as carefully as possible, “What stories can you tell me about the company or organization”. If they have no stories, you may want to consider another company or organization.

As soon as possible, assemble a “Go to hell” fund equal to six months of salary available in case you need to refuse to engage in an unethical, illegal or extremely distasteful activity.

Attempt to locate the leaders in the organization who has real concern about defining the next decade.

Find out and then think about the years your boss was a teenager.

Begin to develop a flexible plan for the future. It is a truism that individuals and organizations that plan, seldom follow their plans, but they tend to perform better than those who do not plan.

Recognize the value of patience and silence. It usually takes a few years to achieve a top position in an organization.

Top Gifts for Medical School Graduates

Posted on April 11, 2010 by marylbrandt

This may be open for (a lot of) discussion… but here’s my list. Feel free to send it to parents, significant others, etc. If anyone has any other ideas, let me know – I’ll keep adding to the list!

1. A weekly maid service for period of time (a year if you can)

2. A gym membership for a period of time (a year if you can). Probably better to make this a certificate of some kind for “after you get settled” – if they are moving to another city for their internship, they will want to join the gym that their friends use.

2. A new (top of the line) smart phone

3. A Kindle or other electronic reader (plus a gift certificate for non-medical books, if you can)

4. “Homemade” meals certificates (if you don’t live somewhere close and can’t do this yourself, find a “ready prepared” food service. I googled for “premade healthy meals” in Houston, for example, and found at least 8 different businesses that do this. )

5. Gift certificates to Whole Foods market or other healthy grocery stores.

6. A new laptop with video (if they don’t have one that lets them use Skype or other video services)

7. A week of vacation before they start their internship.

8. A nice pen will be appreciated… and might be used… if it’s not immediately lost when you are on call…

9. If you are thinking about a watch (which is nice) remember where it is going to live and that it will be taken on and off all day. It should have practical things like an alarm and a stopwatch/second hand. It’s fine to get a fancy watch, but it will be worn on vacation or trips home (and not in the hospital).

10. A letter with all the things you think are wonderful about them, why you are proud of them and why you think they are going to be a fabulous doctor.

11. A wok. It turns out that cheaper (carbon steel) is better than expensive when it comes to woks. Do a little research on the subject, but I recommend the classic, round bottom cheap wok.

12. Kitchen supplies to cook for themselves. There are several options in this category: a good set of knives, a set of pots and pans, baking supplies, or a gift certificate to a cooking store.

13. A gift certificate to Penzey’s spices (www.penzeys.com) if they are already a cook (or you think it will encourage them to cook)

What NOT to buy —-

1. Any medical equipment (unless you are a practicing physician yourself and it’s specific to the graduate’s chosen specialty).

2. A black bag. This is a little debatable because these are very sentimental… but no one I know has ever used their black bag.

3. Anything for an office (won’t happen until after residency, so save this for when they finish their residency)