Help him pay for the massive amount of debt he is probably going to encounter.
Haha! Nice in theory, but this dad has up to $400 to spend. That won't put a dent in his son's debt.
My fiance ran into some unexpected expenses in his first semester...he had to spend nearly $500 on an otoscope and a few other instruments. Some schools lump everything into tuition, including a Palm (or similar) device. Others tell you a week in advance that you need to purchase something expensive. We lived on pasta and frozen veggies for those first few semesters, since his school didn't let him know the extra costs in advance.
If you're going for a practical gift, and his school is organized enough to give him a list of things he needs to purchase, there's your answer. If he has what he needs but his laptop is two years old, a mini laptop may be the way to go. My laptop is heavy enough that I hate lugging it around. Mini laptops are a step between a handheld device and laptops like mine, which are convenient mainly at home...plus, they cost $400 or less.
Many practical gifts (electronics or gift cards) will not be useful long enough to be sentimental. I liked the idea of a stethoscope because it's nice to have a good one, and it can be inscripted and last a lifetime. Most med schools hand them out, but I really hate the way the cheap ones pinch my ears. A good one is a great gift because most cash-poor med students would never consider shelling out so much money for a good one, but would really appreciate having one.
It depends on what you consider to be a good gift. My brother-in-law's family is so practical that they make lists in January of every gift they'd like to receive for birthdays and Christmas. They include things like socks and specific DVDs and books, and they stick to those lists pretty strictly. Our family tends to be more creative in gift-giving. We don't make lists. However, if we know someone wants something specific (but not as specific as "X" model of "Y") we look for a nicer version of that thing than they would buy for themselves.
