Meaningful gift to my Program Director

[muaythai]

Hi Everybody,
I'm a senior radiology resident, will be graduating in June. My Program Director has been not just a mentor but like a father to me. I want to give him a gift when I graduate to express my profound gratitude for everything he has done for me for 5 years of my life.

I'm not doing well coming up with worthy ideas on my own. I was hoping that some of you could help me brainstorm some possible gift ideas. Remember it's just brainstorming so no idea is a bad idea.

MuayThai

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[xanthines]

My vote it for humor:

http://www.amazon.com/X-Ray-Glasses/dp/B0006L3ECO

After all, laughter is the best medicine!

 

[USAFblue]

Don't think big and expensive - think personal... And we don't know your PD so it's hard to give you the best advice!

Instead I can give you an example.
My husband is in the military and at one of the "big events" we had a very distinguished visitor. A retired colonel, who was a prisoner of war, Medal of Honor recipient (during his life - that doesn't happen so often), etc... We had to come up with an idea of a worthy gift for him.

I went online and read a little about him. I found a really amazing story how as prisoners of Vietnam war they made a little American flag... It was forbidden to honor/have anything American, so they risked a brutal punishment for that. Anyways they found an old dirty piece of handkerchief cloth... Using blue ink, grounded roof tiles, bamboo needles and threads from the blanket they made a little U.S. flag... So I got the idea to "craft" such a little flag according to the description (minus the bamboo needles part ). Got a white handkerchief - wiped it in ground dirt and ripped the edges to make it look old... Got an old roof tile and hammered it to powder... etc... etc... (It doesn't have all the stars, but if I remember well the original had only a few stars as well...) The colonel loved the gift... During the evening he came to thanks us many MANY times.

So... You have known your PD for 5 years... You know him/her well enough to know a few stories... Ask someone you know to help you "craft" something out of those stories... And it won't cost you a fortune but will create meaningful memories...

Hope that helps...

(I attached the picture of the gift I wrote about)

 

[SOLDIER]

Buy him a watch with a message at the back

 

[docmd2010]

do you have a lot of photos of your PD of some fun times/events?

Maybe u can buy one of those digital photo frames and upload some nice pictures on it and give it to him.

just an idea..

 

[Dr Magpie]

If you live in a larger city where this might be doable, what about a really memorable dinner at the nicest place in town?

 

[peerie]

I like the idea of a really personal gift. Something homemade like the flag or something uniquely suited to this person's life. I would think about what is important to them and then let your mind wander - be creative, and trust your instincts. Sometimes, it's easy to 'chicken out' and buy something because well, the real idea you have is too homemade or whatever. It's hard to go with real sincerity. But, I think home made things are way better than store bought. Like when people make real home made cookies, way better than store bought even if the edges are a little flaky or brown.

I think it is really, really awesome that you have had such a great relationship with your program director.

 

[muaythai]

Thanks everyone for many great ideas, this has been very helpful.

USAFblue, I'm in the Air Force myself. Your story is very special, thank you for sharing it.

 

[USAFblue]

Thanks everyone for many great ideas, this has been very helpful.

USAFblue, I'm in the Air Force myself. Your story is very special, thank you for sharing it.

What a coincidence!!! Are you in a civilian or a military residency?

Can you do some "art" work? Do you know anyone who could help you? Maybe you could look up all the coolest, funniest or most educative radiological images that have something to do with your PD teaching you, and you could have someone make like a funny but also sentimental scrapbook or a tableau... With a little note under each of them to make your PD laugh or get a little sentimental tear in his/her eye... You could add some pics of you and the PD at work... If you can't do it yourself, but you are USAF, I bet you could find someone on a military base to help you with that project... The best way to find someone like that is going to a craft/scrapbook store nearest to any base and they will give you contact info of people who could do a great job for you if it isn't possible to do it yourself!
You could even take like one radiology image, something special, like one that you both laughed about a lot, and have it framed with funny notes... The way it's done, nice frame, nice background - fitting the office your PD works at...It can be a very nice decorative element for that office... Something you look at and you smile... If you have the material and the ideas what you would want to put in it, then a picture framing workshop/store can do an awesome job for you in putting it all together in a very nice gift....
You could go goofy, take a chest X-ray of yourself, leave your name and everything on a printed version, put your and the PD's picture on the heart shadow, and write something funny about thanking him with all your heart...

Sorry if that sounds stupid... I am just brainstorming with you here... I'd hope it could give you some ideas... Lead to better ones in your head...

P.S. Would you mind sharing your perspective on being a USAF doc? Maybe in a PM? I am really interested in that aspect, since my husband plans to "stay in for a longer while"