The Break Room
CROSSING THE
GENERATIONAL DIVIDE
illennials” or “Generation
Y,” those of us born in the
early 1980s who came of
age around the turn of the
century, don’t have a great
reputation: We’re arrogant, lazy, and have little respect for
those who came before us. Can we all really be that bad?
Or is it just another case of the older generation hastily
writing off the next – just by virtue of their youth?
Some of us probably are as arrogant and spoiled as
we’re purported to be, but I’d like to take the time to dispel a few misconceptions that senior physicians may have
about the younger generation of doctors joining the ranks
– coming from the perspective of just one millennial doctor who likely shares some of your same concerns.
It must be difficult to deal with arrogant young mil-
68
ASH Clinical News
lennials, and I’m sure it is tough for the older generation
to see doctors who are roughly the same age as their children. They must be wondering – justifiably – if their kids
are ready to care for people’s lives. You can see that parent–teenager tension reflected in some of the interactions
between older and younger doctors. The teenager knows
everything about life – and gained in such a short time on
the planet! – and the parent has two choices: Gently step
back and let the teenager figure it out for himself or slap
him silly with a reality check.
But, just as the younger generation has to be teachable and moldable, so must the older generation. Be
open to new evidence-based protocols, be willing to
try something different. Yes, the fact that someone
your child’s age is instructing you may be hard to
swallow, but discounting that information means you
By Michael K. Keng, MD
might miss a new-and-improved tool that might actually improve your practice.
Trust us; we learned from you.
Finding the Common Ground
Do you remember the moment in your first job out of
fellowship when you looked around and realized there
was no one looking over your shoulder? It was absolutely terrifying, for me at least. The safety net has been
abruptly removed and, all of a sudden, we have to be
able to justify every action we recommend to our patients, to the insurance company, and to the court of law
if we ever find ourselves there. The “my GFV