I agree with the first half of the post. Indeed, the cost of attaining formal medical education to completion (whatever that endpoint may look like) is much higher than it ever used to be. At the same time, income has not kept pace with the rise in cost of living. So I don’t doubt that the financial aspects and prospects of the professio…
I agree with the first half of the post. Indeed, the cost of attaining formal medical education to completion (whatever that endpoint may look like) is much higher than it ever used to be. At the same time, income has not kept pace with the rise in cost of living. So I don’t doubt that the financial aspects and prospects of the profession are not what they once were for any newcomer on scene.
But I disagree with the general tenor of the second half. The challenges and demands of the modern day practice of medicine are shared equally btw young and old, newbie and seasoned vet alike. If anything, trainees don’t see the brunt of the administrative realities, and they may have some unpleasant experiences in store when they are fully minted, from which they are currently insulated.
It is also fine to admit that medicine may no longer be a calling. It never has been that for me, and I’m 22 years in. I don’t think my contemporaries generally considered it one. That “calling” mindset imo is a relic from the generation before me. And while you can and should seek out all the work-life balance you desire or require, when you’re actually at work, you should expect to be working. And that’s where I see this generation losing the plot. Medicine is hard work, with long hours, stress, performance pressure, and interpersonal challenges…all day…everyday…when you are at work. If you are not prepared to work (or work within that environment and those realities)….maybe this isn’t for you. No one is owed a career in medicine. If you choose to pursue one (and are fortunate enough to have the opportunity)…well, choices have consequences. Welcome to adulthood. “Kids these days” can prioritize “work/life balance “ to their heart’s content, and that’s not the problem; the problem is even when they’re working, they’re a bunch of daisy picking little pansies about it. Examples from the NEJM article- they’re triggered cuz a patient mispronounced their name? They felt unsafe cuz they had to do some scut work? Puh-lease. Grow up already, and grow a set while they’re at it.
"They're a bunch of daisy picking little pansies about it" made me laugh. I can't say that I know one way or the other since I've only had minimal contact with trainees/learners. As I so often do, I come down somewhere in the middle. I am an early GenX-er and I appreciate what the youth have brought into organizations. They've seen parents bust their butts for companies and only get screwed in the end. I notice that men of this younger generation are generally much more involved parents, which is a great thing. But to your point, they shouldn't be clueless about what they will encounter as a doctor, e.g. patients who are not "woke" and gruelling hours and workloads. I take your point about it not being a calling for most. I wonder, though, whether in the past it was feeling a call to medicine that made some of the challenges more bearable.
I agree with the first half of the post. Indeed, the cost of attaining formal medical education to completion (whatever that endpoint may look like) is much higher than it ever used to be. At the same time, income has not kept pace with the rise in cost of living. So I don’t doubt that the financial aspects and prospects of the profession are not what they once were for any newcomer on scene.
But I disagree with the general tenor of the second half. The challenges and demands of the modern day practice of medicine are shared equally btw young and old, newbie and seasoned vet alike. If anything, trainees don’t see the brunt of the administrative realities, and they may have some unpleasant experiences in store when they are fully minted, from which they are currently insulated.
It is also fine to admit that medicine may no longer be a calling. It never has been that for me, and I’m 22 years in. I don’t think my contemporaries generally considered it one. That “calling” mindset imo is a relic from the generation before me. And while you can and should seek out all the work-life balance you desire or require, when you’re actually at work, you should expect to be working. And that’s where I see this generation losing the plot. Medicine is hard work, with long hours, stress, performance pressure, and interpersonal challenges…all day…everyday…when you are at work. If you are not prepared to work (or work within that environment and those realities)….maybe this isn’t for you. No one is owed a career in medicine. If you choose to pursue one (and are fortunate enough to have the opportunity)…well, choices have consequences. Welcome to adulthood. “Kids these days” can prioritize “work/life balance “ to their heart’s content, and that’s not the problem; the problem is even when they’re working, they’re a bunch of daisy picking little pansies about it. Examples from the NEJM article- they’re triggered cuz a patient mispronounced their name? They felt unsafe cuz they had to do some scut work? Puh-lease. Grow up already, and grow a set while they’re at it.
"They're a bunch of daisy picking little pansies about it" made me laugh. I can't say that I know one way or the other since I've only had minimal contact with trainees/learners. As I so often do, I come down somewhere in the middle. I am an early GenX-er and I appreciate what the youth have brought into organizations. They've seen parents bust their butts for companies and only get screwed in the end. I notice that men of this younger generation are generally much more involved parents, which is a great thing. But to your point, they shouldn't be clueless about what they will encounter as a doctor, e.g. patients who are not "woke" and gruelling hours and workloads. I take your point about it not being a calling for most. I wonder, though, whether in the past it was feeling a call to medicine that made some of the challenges more bearable.