I recently started dating a guy that will be starting medical school
in August.  I want to get him a gift for his first day, but am unsure
of what a beginning med student would like, what would be most
helpful?  Also, I read the idea about a medical ken barbie doll and I
have to get this, because we have been called Barbie and Ken, and I
think it will be hilarious...but I have been searching everywhere and
can't seem to find one??

I'm glad you found the 'Dr Ken' eBay links to be helpful! I have
reposted them below:

eBay: Dr Ken and Little Patient Tommy
http://cgi.ebay.com/DR-KEN-AND-LITTLE-PATIENT-TOMMY_W0QQitemZ160007052360QQihZ006QQcategoryZ15953QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

eBay: Dr Ken Doll / Little Patient Tommy
http://cgi.ebay.com/1997-Dr-Ken-Doll-Little-Patient-Tommy-barbie-in-Box_W0QQitemZ130005667841QQihZ003QQcategoryZ48917QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Regarding books, I've read the JAMA collection "A Piece of My Mind,"
and I highly recommend it. Another great choice for a medical student
would be almost anything by Richard Selzer. Selzer is a retired
surgeon with the soul of a poet. He writes of his medical experiences
in a way that is entertaining yet educational: sometimes funny,
sometimes heartbreaking.

Richard Selzer's "Letters to a Young Doctor" would be one of my top
choices as a gift for someone entering medical school:

Amazon: Letters to a Young Doctor
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0156003996

Other authors who have written numerous books on medical subjects are
William A. Nolen and Oliver Sacks. You can't go wrong with anything by
these authors.

Another good choice might be Michael Crichton's "Five Patients."
Before Crichton became a bestselling novelist, he planned on a medical
career (and, in fact, he graduated from Harvard Medical School). "Five
Patients" gives details not only of patients and their conditions, but
also of the medical professionals who treat them. Although hospital
systems have changed quite a bit since Chrichton wrote this, it's
still a great read:

Amazon: Five Patients
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394425081

I hope this helps! 

Best regards,
pinkfreud

The answer was above and beyond what I expected to get!  I really
appreciate all of the help and advice!

Some of the suggestions here may be of interest:

http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=252363

If you are serious about wanting a medical Ken doll:

http://cgi.ebay.com/DR-KEN-AND-LITTLE-PATIENT-TOMMY_W0QQitemZ160007052360QQihZ006QQcategoryZ15953QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/1997-Dr-Ken-Doll-Little-Patient-Tommy-barbie-in-Box_W0QQitemZ130005667841QQihZ003QQcategoryZ48917QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thank you so much!  I have been reading the other suggestions, but
wasn't sure if these books and things would be of help for a student
starting out... I think i'm going to go with the "A Piece of My Mind"
JAMA, a med shirt, and the Ken doll for fun.  Again, thanks so much!

Are you seeking additional suggestions? If the links I posted above
provide a fully satisfactory answer, I'll be glad to repost them as an
official answer and collect the fee. If not, of course, the question
can be left open.

No, you have been a huge help with the Ken doll, so go ahead and post
it as the answer... but could you tell me if you would go with "A
Piece of My Mind" or is there another book I should get off of your
list instead?

Many thanks for the five stars and the very generous tip!

~pinkfreud

For fun, I got my husband a Sesame Street Doctor's Kit (Toys) to
congratulate him on getting accepted to medical school. We love it! We
play with it with our children and it's a fun reminder of celebrating
getting into medical school. :)

Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga

Don't know if you've already got anything, but I'm going to med school
in Sept (with the right grades!) and we're told which books to get
during the terms so maybe a book gift certificate instead of any
specific books, but having not read the mentioned book(s) I can't say
they might not be helpful anyway. Just my 2 pence.