Medical illustration post here…..
I always get a little stuck when it comes to gift-giving. What do I give? Will they use it? And how much should I spend? There’s this pressure when you feel that a gift isn’t enough unless it costs a certain amount.
But over time, I’ve realized that the best gifts and the ones people actually use are often the most practical. I like to give things that are not traditionally thought of as a gift, but are perfect for the person. Like a 6-month supply of car air fresheners. Or a 2-pound bag of raw cashews for that nut-lover. Once, I gave my father a titanium reusable toothpick for Father’s Day. It was only $8… but he still talks about how handy it is.
Last year, at a work Secret Santa exchange, I received a super useful gift: a box of 12 0.3mm pens—made in Japan. Clearly, this person knew about my obsession with fine-point pens. Every time I use them, I think of her.
It reminded me that the best gifts are practical. It means that you actually know someone and know what they would find useful. How many times have you been out and see something and think, “That would be the perfect gift for XYZ?”
Well, that happened to me recently. I came across something so unexpected, I thought to myself:
“This would be an amazing gift for my patients.”
So here it is: my vote for one of the most practical (and unforgettable) gifts out there:
Anatomically correct underwear.
Yes, really. Actual underwear printed with a fully labeled diagram of the female reproductive system. It was created by Eleanor Haswell, a British art student.
The 18-year-old art student from north-east England is on a mission to make women stand up and take notice of their own bodies and came up with her anatomically correct undies for her project Why Are You So Afraid Of Your Own Anatomy?.
According to the article, these items of underwear are not for sale, but I think they will would be a fantastic gift. It might be something a little unexpected to give someone something so personal as underwear, but that’s exactly why I love it. It’s not just art that hangs up on a wall; it’s art that teaches in a practical way and may even make someone smile. And, I kinda love this super practical application of medical illustration. Here’s the link to the article.
Perhaps the reason I think this is such a great gift because it’s something I constantly explain to my patients.
Turn to page 72 in my book Diagnosketch, and you’ll see an image I use over and over again. It’s useful whether I’m teaching someone about basic anatomy or walking them through why urinary tract infections are more common in women than men.
I usually explain that males and females have distinct anatomy. Males have two exits: the rectum (stool) and the urethra (urine), while females have three exits: the rectum (stool), the vagina, and the urethra (urine). The male’s exits are further apart, anatomically, than the female’s exits. This makes urinary tract infections much more common in females than in males. Why? Bacteria from the rectum (GI tract) can more easily travel to the bladder in a female than in a male and cause a urinary tract infection.
This simple illustration helps take something that might feel confusing or even a little embarrassing and turns it into something clear, visual, and easy to talk about.
So now I’m curious: what’s the most surprisingly useful gift you’ve ever received?