Gen Z docs are rejecting medicine’s endurance test
Industry Buzz
It’s hard to change opinions when people are used to doing things a certain way. Acceptance will be slow and arduous, but the changes are necessary to keep the next generation of physicians. Continued education and outreach to the older generation helps.
—Kanwar Kelley, MD
We have become more aware of the importance of well-being. Ultimately, we deliver the best care for others when we care for ourselves.
—Becky Lowry, MD
Gen Z doctors are coming in hot, but what can we learn from them? They’re the generation born between 1997 and 2012 and the first generation to be born into a world in which apps, the internet, and smart devices already existed.[] Now, they’re bringing a fresh perspective to the field of medicine.[]
“Gen Z are deeply involved in advocacy and [are] vocal about systems that are unfair. I think they’ll keep evolving the career and pushing medical education toward better work-life balance and better care,” Kanwar Kelley, MD, JD, triple board-certified in otolaryngology head and neck surgery, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine, and the cofounder and CEO of telemedicine practice Side Health in Orinda, CA, tells MDLinx.
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Members of Gen Z are more likely to be highly educated and care deeply about social change, including racial equity and protecting the environment.[]
This generation is also more dedicated to personal wellness, including stress management, economic security, fitness, sleep, and nutrition.
“Younger generations say they want to have a choice in how they live their profession; they don’t want to be subjected to it. They say that work should be fulfilling, not exhausting. They have chosen the profession of physician with full knowledge of the facts. But from there to being totally overwhelmed, they say no. In the next few years, we should expect a generation of doctors who will work less and less, who will be more and more demanding about the way they are treated by the health authorities,” an article in Frontiers in Public Health notes.[]
Addressing burnout
Gen Z is challenging long-standing issues in medicine, including long hours, burnout, and a “pecking order” hierarchy.[] Dr. Kelley argues that addressing burnout is a positive thing.
“Burnout is a huge problem, and ignoring long hours, limited free time, and poor working conditions only makes it worse. Trainees do need enough hours to be properly prepared to practice on their own, but the ‘hazing’ mentality doesn’t help anyone,” he says.
“We should be giving future physicians [the] conditions to thrive. Duty hours, no overnight call in your first year, and real wellness education give them room to grow into their careers without becoming disillusioned with medicine. Refusing to treat martyrdom as a credential isn’t softness; exhaustion correlates with errors, and a rested doctor is a safer doctor,” Dr. Kelley adds.
Becky Lowry, MD, an internal medicine specialist and chief wellness officer at the University of Kansas Health System, says physician attitudes about their own self-care (or lack thereof) have been evolving.
“These historic trends are changing as we have become more aware of the importance of well-being. Ultimately, we deliver the best care for others when we care for ourselves in such a way that we remain healthy and well personally,” she says.
Related: What sustainable clinical practice actually looks like: Efficiency alone doesn't solve the problemSome change is a good thing
Dr. Kelley notes that there may be challenges in reconciling the differing approaches of physicians across generations. But some change, he says, may be needed to keep a newer generation of physicians working.
“It’s hard to change opinions when people are used to doing things a certain way. Acceptance will be slow and arduous, but the changes are necessary to keep the next generation of physicians. Continued education and outreach to the older generation helps. So does putting more physicians in administrative roles making these decisions. It’s easier to accept than outsiders piling on new regulations. It’ll take time, but the new approach will slowly become mainstream. The key is to measure outcomes and adjust as we go,” he says.
“What I hope for is that medicine stays an attractive career, and that the people who choose it are happy they did. It’s a field full of hard days, difficult situations, and stretches where the losses seem to outnumber the wins. Adjusting policies to actually address burnout and attrition is a welcome change, not a threat,” Dr. Kelley adds.
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