The New Millenials

Part of this experience is the people I meet. Their energy brings light to what could be a dark time. It helps me focus on my life and the future.

I’ve been involved in medical education my whole career; I’m also a boomer whose own children are now coming of age. We hear a lot about the “Millennial Generation” – young adults, raised by overindulgent boomers, who need constant reinforcement, and are unwilling to make long term commitments. My fellow attendings bemoan how training has changed to adapt to these students, and that this generation can’t see beyond their own sphere.

And then I met Jackie and Jono, Jen and Nick.

Jackie and Jono (left) are third year students at Mount Sinai and NYU respectively. They met during college at Middlebury; Jackie had always planned to go straight to med school and Jono,after reflection, also found that it resonated with him. Although Jackie’s dad was a neurosurgeon, she never felt pressured. Jono learned of CRUDEM through a surgery attending who was involved in international health, although he had no experience in overseas medical work. Without a second thought, they committed to two weeks. When they arrived last week, we were short on physicians to cover the 30-40 patients in each tent. The two of them stepped up to the plate, and within two days, had organized tent 5, coordinated with the Haitian medical staff, and appropriately consulted for specialty needs. This was the first time they had worked this closely together and when asked, admitted that their mutually strong personalities provided a few challenges. In the next breath, they also smiled at each other and said it was good for the relationship.
Jen and Nick are residents at Washington University in St Louis. They met at medical school when he was the medical student on Peds and she was a 4th year JI. He wouldn’t ask her out, thinking she was a resident. She asked him. “Sometimes you have to take charge.” He clearly got the message and when he was given the opportunity to make this trip, made sure to ask her to come. It may have helped that she was in a lab year, having switched from surgery to peds. I met them Friday, assigned Jen to the OR and Nick to lead a tent. Over the weekend, they each took a tent. When one was done, they sought out the other to help with dressings or medications. This was their first vacation as an engaged couple. Instead of a week in a beachside cabana, they were in a 4 person room, with only a fan, sleeping on cots, sharing a bathroom with 10 other people… and they were having a great time.
So what does this have to do with the future?
Humans, and the societies they form, cycle from times of plenty to times of challenges, from moments of dependency to increased self reliance, from seeking external recognition to finding the joy in the human experience. The stereotypes of the millennials likely reflect our own discomfort with how we raised them. We talked about all the trophies given at events, as this generation grew up. Jackie stopped me and swept her arm around the room. “This is my trophy.”
As I grow older and transition from being a healthcare provider to a healthcare consumer, I admit that I had concerns about the future of medicine…

And then I met Jackie and Jono, Jen and Nick.