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7 Observations About The Next Generation Of Physicians

For the last 4 years, I’ve been teaching medical and public health students about the use of social media and generally digital technologies in medicine and healthcare and I got a good picture of what kind of medical professionals they would become soon. They represent the new generation of physicians.

Here are my points and observations:

  1. They are technophile. I remember the time when there was no internet, I remember the first website I first saw online. They were born into the technology and internet-based world. For them, websites, Facebook, Twitter and blogs represent the basics. They love gadgets and devices.
  2. They are fast. They use smartphones, read news online, follow blogs and know what RSS is, they are familiar with multi-tasking. They are much faster than the previous generations, therefore they need different tools and solutions in their work.
  3. But they use the technology for Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*

Does The Next Generation of Physicians Know What They’re Getting Into?

Doctors have an image problem.  People see us one way.  Perhaps more importantly, we see ourselves one way.  And it seems to start at a young age.

I had a premedical student in my office recently – A friend of a friend interested in a career as a doctor.  And as I often do I like to ask the question, ‘what do you think medicine will be like when you’re done training?’ It’s something of an exercise.  I usually get an answer involving some combination of hospital rounds, physical examinations, telephone calls, and busy office visits.  Occasionally I’ll get rehearsed nonsense about black leather bags and house calls.  The young woman in my office didn’t fail to deliver.

What does the next generation of physician know? Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts*

The Next Generation Of Physicians Won’t Be Frustrated By Losing The Autonomy They Never Had

At this writing, I am in Atlanta visiting our daughter at Emory University. This may be the only college campus in the nation where you can’t buy Pepsi. Coke is King here. If you don’t know this, do some due diligence before you or someone you love interviews here.

I remember a few decades interviewing at the medical school here. There are only 2 medical school interviews that I recall after all these years. At N.Y.U. School of Medicine, the canny interviewer asked me what the death rate of Americans is. I correctly responded, “100%”. I suppose that untangling enigmatic questions was an N.Y.U. admission requirement, since they did accept me, and I did attend. The other medical school interview I still recall was at Emory, although it’s not the questions I remember. Their unique interview format made the experience memorable. Three medical school applicants were interviewed simultaneously as we faced a bank of questioners. This was reminiscent of the ancient and popular TV show, The Dating Game, where 3 bachelors or bachelorettes heard their competitors’ responses and often had to respond to the same questions. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at MD Whistleblower*

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