A Surgeon's Christmas Wishlist

November 24, 2021

 


Hola! When I started this blog I was a medical student, as a hobby to distract myself from a demanding course schedule. Now, I'm a third year general surgery resident! I wish I could have kept this up more but, as you can imagine, life as a surgery resident is hectic to say the least! Anyway, I'm coming back to you with a post just in time for Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping! Below I list all the things any surgeon would love to have under the tree this year:


  1. Scrubs: I can't imagine anything better than finding a pair of scrubs by FIGS under the Christmas tree. These, in "surgical green", are perfect for any surgeon in your life!
  2. Dansko clogs: When spending an average of 80 hours a week either standing in the operating room or walking around the hospital, we appreciate comfy shoes and these by Dansko are not the cutest but are most definitely the most comfortable thing to have on your feet.
  3. Tennis shoes: Sometimes Dansko clogs just don't go with my choice of scrubs for the day (i.e. joggers) and those are days when I prefer to use tennis shoes. This pair from Adidas are super cute and their Ultraboost line is *ultra* comfortable.
  4. Apple watch/smart watch: I cannot live without my Apple watch! I for one hate constantly looking at my phone and having a smart watch lets me handle quicker communication without handling my phone. I use it to communicate with my team, calculate patient information, and keep track of my activity.
  5. Apple AirPods Pro/wireless earbuds: Be it to listen to a surgery podcast or some music while writing progress notes, wireless earbuds are a must for any resident.
  6. Sunrise alarm clock: We have to wake up at ungodly hours to start our day, usually hours before the sun comes up. So having an alarm clock that brings in that light into their room can make waking up so early feel more natural.
  7. Wireless speaker: Yes, we do listen to music in the operating room and for that a wireless speaker would make a perfect gift!
  8. Jacket: These jackets are definitely a splurge item but trust me, they are worth it! 
  9. Heattech lace camisole: These are my secret to staying warm during 24 hour on call nights! They are "insulating, bio-warming, moisture-wicking, odor control, moisturizing, anti-static feature", and cheap!
  10. Heattech leggings: Pair these with the camisole and they'll stay nice and warm walking around a freezing hospital at 3am.
  11. Wireless bra: I could not stand 24+ hours in a wired bra so these are a must during calls.
  12. Behind the Knife ABSITE Podcast Companion: The surgery in-training exam (ABSITE) is coming up and this is an amazing companion to their ABSITE review series!
  13. Microsoft Surface Pro: For everything from studying to preparing presentations, a tablet/laptop of some sort is a must.


  1. Notepads: A cute little notepad to write down important information. The key is for it to be small enough to fit in their white coat pocket!
  2. Invisibobble: Perfect for tying back their hair without kinking it.
  3. Pin: This would look adorable on their white coat!
  4. Hand warmers: These are an essential for me during cold nights in the hospital!
  5. Badge reel: A necessity for any doctor so might as well have a cute one!
  6. Compression socks: Spending 12+ hours a day on our feet means edematous ankles which is NOT cute.
  7. Masks:, but make it cute.
  8. Pens: The best pens ever in existence.

What's on your Christmas wish list this year?

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