Gift for secretary

[Ravenclaw]

This is DH's first year as an attending. What would be a nice gift for his secretary? I was thinking a gift card, maybe Target or a Visa. How much would be good? We are still thinking in poor training mode, since it was 9 years long. DH said $20, which I know is way too chintzy for an attending.

Btw, I just realized I shouldn't be in the Colonoscopy forum and should be in the Attending one!

[Sheherezade]

We started out with gift baskets and eventually just went with a "bonus" in a big check with a card. And DH would take them out for lunch. I realize that's not the norm, but in his hospital they were cutting everybody's salary and that was the most appreciated gesture we could make.


Angie

[GrayMatterWife]

Last year we got her a Kate Spade handbag.

[Vanquisher]

At least $50, bare minimum. $100+ would be more in line with what I've seen.


Heidi

[migirl]

We spend $100 per secretary/surgery scheduler/etc. That's the norm here, unfortunately.

[Ladybug]

Definitely money. It helps them make their own Christmas happen at home. Minimum 50, you can always go up later. The attending all pool their money together here and divide it up amongst administrative assistants. I think DH puts about 200 in , but it covers OR and clinics. He usually gets 20 SBux cards for his regular OR nurses

[JDAZ11]

Def at least a $100. We literally spent $2800 on staff gifts this year. Still have to get his partners 😒🔫

[Pollyanna]

The division pools money around here. We haven't been asked for more than $150.

[JDAZ11]

The division pools money around here. We haven't been asked for more than $150.

Ha! They pool the money here also. Now I'm pissed we're asked for so much. My SH gets screwed because he has to contribute to both the surgical and angio staffs. Then they have a TON of residents, and then all these different groups if nurses ask for contributions to their holiday parties. He is not happy about the amount of cash. We basically don't get each other gifts anymore because $2800, plus family gifts = way too much already!!! So fun being done with training 😉

[v-girl]

The staff DH works with asked the attending a to adopt a family instead of giving them gifts. We would spend $200-250 on gifts so that is how much DH gave.


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[medpedspouse]

When DH was in PP, the clinic had a nice dinner/party for the staff and SOs. I would still buy DH's clinic staff (32) gifts. One year, I had a massage therapist come and the last year we were there we did $25 GCs to the local coffee shop that was around the corner. The other partners never did anything. I guess they thought footing the party bill was their gift. Don't know...I just did what I would have done for my staff. When the hospital bought them out and it all went to hell, we hosted the party in our home.

Here, I do not think that gifts are expected. Last year was our first year and I was not around because I was still commuting. This year, DH says we do not have to do anything...that he asked and the other attendings have never done anything. This hospital gives them frozen turkeys. Bawhahahaha!!!! Nothing says you are appreciated than a frozen turkey.

Working at the hospital, I have never received any gift worth higher than $30 and I have worked for department chairs and the med school dean. I think the $100 plus gifts may be going away along with physician compensation.

Back to your original question...if he is only buying one gift, I would do at least $50...prob a $100. If you do not want to spend that much, you could do a GC for a mani/pedi or some other service and maybe come out at $75???

[Ravenclaw]

Thanks! We had compromised on $50 but DH just got a text from the chair saying all of the attendings (6 of them) need to contribute $400 each for office staff and OR staff. Welcome to attendinghood! ☺

[JDAZ11]

Ha! Yeah. That's how I feel too!

[Sheherezade]

We do our extra gifts for the two NPs, the two chemo nurses and the scheduler. We contribute to a pooled gift of cash for "everyone" but honestly, don't know who that entails. DH is ordering in lunch from Olive Garden for the clinic staff next week on his two clinic days.

We've given thousand dollar gifts before, when DH had a scheduler that worked overtime every day to keep up with him and the hospital refused to pay her one penny for it. (She refused to leave, they refused to pay her, so we did.)Never less than 200 though. I'm surprised you've not received anything "big", although it seems like the cash gifts are at the discretion of the doc, not the norm.


Angie

[Deebs]

I am going to brag. This is probably the only year this will ever happen, but we are giving no gifts to staff this year. None. The nurses DH is working with kind of suck as people, there is NO holiday party so we haven't had any o contribute to that, and DH is generally just done. My kids' teachers will reap the benefits of extra money in the budget a year that all but one are absolutely phenomenal teachers and people.