As much as having a rule such as this sucks, it is a necessary rule that is enforced. Without a limit on the gifts we can give to our physicians, not only can they be influenced by the money/gifts that are given to them, they can abuse them to their advantage for personal gain. From an outside perspective, gifts like this could be seen as a form of bribery. All in all, while you feel like the physician may deserve more and there is no harm in paying for the wife’s meal the fact of the matter is that rules like this help both sides maintain credibility should something arise.