What patients love about Gen Z docs—and how to channel that energy
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
“There’s a beautiful opportunity right now for intergenerational collaboration. Older physicians bring depth, pattern recognition, and wisdom. Younger ones bring innovation, adaptability, and a refreshed sense of purpose.” — Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, MD, a critical care and palliative care physician at The Ottawa Hospital
Find more of your peers' perspectives and insights below.
Patients are sharing their experiences with Gen Z doctors online, shedding light on the traits today’s patients value most in their physicians.
Most of the patient experiences included in the recent article from BuzzFeed suggest that Gen Z physicians adopt a more casual bedside manner (including a hearty dose of humor).[] In one example, a patient was quoted as telling their doctor they’d had a tubal ligation, to which the doctor said, “Yes Queen, no more kids.”
There's also a sense that younger doctors take a more intersectional approach to medicine. A health teacher was quoted as saying that their students are “culturally competent” and “empathetic,” and that they’re going to make “great changes” as healthcare workers.
What makes Gen Z docs different?
According to Heidi Chumley, MD, MBA, there are three key differences between younger and older physicians: “Social consciousness, communication preferences, and digital nativity.”
She adds that “[younger MDs] are also more natural collaborators, which work[s] well with how medicine is best practiced,” and that while younger MDs have their own strengths, they can still benefit from, say, baby boomer physicians. “Although [it’s] changing, much of medicine remains hands-on, with in-person communication. Years of experience of older physicians [can benefit younger MDs].”
Nikolas Grotewold, an MD-PhD student at the University of Michigan, tells MDLinx that he’s worked with physicians and residents across a 50-year age span—and that with the younger generations of physicians comes marked changes.
“I’ve observed a profound cultural shift in medicine. Historically, the field was marked by a strongly paternalistic approach, with physicians making decisions on behalf of their patients, guided by what they believed to be the best treatment course,” Grotewold says. “[But] over the past decade, there has been a notable move toward patient-centered care, emphasizing shared physician-patient decision-making, where patients are actively involved in choosing their treatments based on information and guidance from their physicians.”
He says that during clinical years and residency, “the overall rigor remains necessarily high,” despite younger generations prioritizing work-life balance and addressing burnout, which leads to better patient care.
Rupa Wong, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist, says that younger physicians may bring a more personal touch compared with older physicians, noting there is now more discussion around gender, family, and other issues during training.
“Gen Z physicians are uniquely positioned to bring their life experiences into their patient care, having been shown an example that many of us Gen X physicians never experienced,” she says.
Stop comparing, start collaborating
Each generation of physicians has unique skills and perspectives, says Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, MD, a critical care and palliative care physician at The Ottawa Hospital. “There’s a beautiful opportunity right now for intergenerational collaboration. Older physicians bring depth, pattern recognition, and wisdom. Younger ones bring innovation, adaptability, and a refreshed sense of purpose. We need both to transform healthcare.”
Let’s be honest: Healthcare is broken in many ways,” Dr. Kyeremanteng says. “If we want to fix it, we need to stop comparing and start collaborating across generations.”
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