The generation and gender shifts in medicine: an exploratory survey of internal medicine physicians

Abstract

BackgroundTwo striking demographic shifts evident in today's workforce are also apparent in the medical profession. One is the entry of a new generation of physicians, Gen Xers, and the other is the influx of women. Both shifts are argued to have significant implications for recruitment and retention because of assumptions regarding the younger generation's and women's attitudes towards work and patient care. This paper explores two questions regarding the generations: (1) How do Baby Boomer and Generation X physicians perceive the generation shift in work attitudes and behaviours? and (2) Do Baby Boomer and Generation X physicians differ significantly in their work hours and work attitudes regarding patient care and life balance? Gen Xers include those born between 1965 and 1980; Baby Boomers are those born between 1945 and 1964. We also ask: Do female and male Generation X physicians differ significantly in their work hours and work attitudes regarding patient care and life balance?MethodsWe conducted exploratory interviews with 54 physicians and residents from the Department of Medicine (response rate 91%) and asked about their perceptions regarding the generation and gender shifts in medicine. We limit the analyses to interview responses of 34 Baby Boomers and 18 Generation Xers. We also sent questionnaires to Department members (response rate 66%), and this analysis is limited to 87 Baby Boomers' and 65 Generation Xers' responses.ResultsThe qualitative interview data suggest significant generation and gender shifts in physicians' attitudes. Baby Boomers generally view Gen Xer physicians as less committed to their medical careers. The quantitative questionnaire data suggest that there are few significant differences in the generations' and genders' reports of work-life balance, work hours and attitudes towards patient care.ConclusionA combined qualitative and quantitative approach to the generation shift and gender shift in medicine is helpful in revealing that the widely held assumptions are not necessarily reflective of any significant differences in actual work attitudes or behaviours of Boomer and Gen X physicians or of the younger generation of women entering medicine.

How we achieve satisfaction in training – A German-wide survey on preferred training conditions among trainers and trainees for board certification in gastroenterology

“…Overall, we found a strong concordance in most responses between trainers and trainees and in the pre-defined subgroups: medical hierarchy level, place of work, gender, age, full-time/part-time work, and parental status 14 . Consistently, earlier quantitative research showed no generational differences regarding self-reported work–life balance, work hours, and attitudes toward patient care among internal medicine physicians of different generations, besides significant perceived differences 15 .…”

How we achieve satisfaction in training – A German-wide survey on preferred training conditions among trainers and trainees for board certification in gastroenterology

“…Overall, we found a strong concordance in most responses between trainers and trainees and in the pre-defined subgroups: medical hierarchy level, place of work, gender, age, full-time/part-time work, and parental status 14 . Consistently, earlier quantitative research showed no generational differences regarding self-reported work–life balance, work hours, and attitudes toward patient care among internal medicine physicians of different generations, besides significant perceived differences 15 .…”

Medical student and trainee doctor views on the ‘good’ doctor: Deriving implications for training from a Q-methods study

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Dissonant role perception and paradoxical adjustments: an exploratory study on Medical Residents’ collaboration with Senior Doctors and Head Nurses

“…Another hypothesis may be that old SDs interpret the role of MR based on the way they were themselves socialized to it when they were young physicians. Indeed, in the FG they seemed to make reference to an outdated conception of physician (Elston 2009), thus confirming the generational gap between senior and young doctors found in the literature (Borgstrom et al 2010), and more specifically the dissimilarities in terms of learning and working style (Elkind 2009;Lancaster and Stillman 2003;Jovic et al 2006). In light of these considerations, age could be seen as an important factor for understanding role perception.…”

How we achieve satisfaction in training – A German-wide survey on preferred training conditions among trainers and trainees for board certification in gastroenterology

“…Overall, we found a strong concordance in most responses between trainers and trainees and in the pre-defined subgroups: medical hierarchy level, place of work, gender, age, full-time/part-time work, and parental status 14 . Consistently, earlier quantitative research showed no generational differences regarding self-reported work–life balance, work hours, and attitudes toward patient care among internal medicine physicians of different generations, besides significant perceived differences 15 .…”

Medical student and trainee doctor views on the ‘good’ doctor: Deriving implications for training from a Q-methods study

“……”

Dissonant role perception and paradoxical adjustments: an exploratory study on Medical Residents’ collaboration with Senior Doctors and Head Nurses

“…Another hypothesis may be that old SDs interpret the role of MR based on the way they were themselves socialized to it when they were young physicians. Indeed, in the FG they seemed to make reference to an outdated conception of physician (Elston 2009), thus confirming the generational gap between senior and young doctors found in the literature (Borgstrom et al 2010), and more specifically the dissimilarities in terms of learning and working style (Elkind 2009;Lancaster and Stillman 2003;Jovic et al 2006). In light of these considerations, age could be seen as an important factor for understanding role perception.…”

How we achieve satisfaction in training – A German-wide survey on preferred training conditions among trainers and trainees for board certification in gastroenterology

“…Overall, we found a strong concordance in most responses between trainers and trainees and in the pre-defined subgroups: medical hierarchy level, place of work, gender, age, full-time/part-time work, and parental status 14 . Consistently, earlier quantitative research showed no generational differences regarding self-reported work–life balance, work hours, and attitudes toward patient care among internal medicine physicians of different generations, besides significant perceived differences 15 .…”

Medical student and trainee doctor views on the ‘good’ doctor: Deriving implications for training from a Q-methods study

“……”

Dissonant role perception and paradoxical adjustments: an exploratory study on Medical Residents’ collaboration with Senior Doctors and Head Nurses

“…Another hypothesis may be that old SDs interpret the role of MR based on the way they were themselves socialized to it when they were young physicians. Indeed, in the FG they seemed to make reference to an outdated conception of physician (Elston 2009), thus confirming the generational gap between senior and young doctors found in the literature (Borgstrom et al 2010), and more specifically the dissimilarities in terms of learning and working style (Elkind 2009;Lancaster and Stillman 2003;Jovic et al 2006). In light of these considerations, age could be seen as an important factor for understanding role perception.…”