To no one’s surprise, older physicians don’t have much respect for our work ethic:
The survey went out to 10,000 docs, and 1,175 responded. It included several sections, including one that queried the older docs about young M.D.s entering the profession today. Answers on that front didn’t change much between 2004 and 2007. In both cases, more than 60% of docs said young physicians are less dedicated and hard working than the older generation.
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{ 7 comments }
I do distinctly remember Dr. Ben Casey saying the same thing to Dr. Zorba about the new doctors at County General. The wise Dr. Zorba reminded Dr. Casey that his faculty said the same thing about Dr. Casey’s class when he was in training.
It was on some rerun. I’m not that old. I think the episode was filmed in 1962.
If it makes you feel better, the real-life counterparts to Dr. Ben Casey’s staff probably filled out the survey you cited.
As my grandfather used to say: “times change, people stay the same”.
Where is the survey asking if the young MDs give a rat’s ass what older MDs think?
The older MDs bilked the system for YEARS (unnecessary procedures, prolonged hospitalizations, etc.) making enormous profits in a much more paternalistic atmosphere.
They also let insurance companies run primary care medicine into the ground, leaving an entire generation of dissatisfied doctors & patients.
Then they complain about work ethic? I have yet to see any of the over-60 crowd take call in my local hospital, let alone do “charity” work. They’re no different than the rest of the AARP crowd, with an unbridled sense of entitlement that they are owed something by the younger generation merely for existing.
This is like taking a survey on whether teenagers think they ought to have a curfew. Of COURSE the majority of old people think young people don’t work as hard.
Easy, now. Not even 12 percent of those who received the bloody survey bothered to fill it out. That tells me that the vast majority of folks are just fine with your work ethic. A non-issue.
I would have to say that this attitude prevails at my practice. And the older guys do work hard, if seeing 100 patients a day is any measure. What they don’t do is anything that is difficult or time consuming. This includes ER calls, consults, and complicated or demanding patients. Those get turfed to the younger guys. Then at the end of the month when revenues are reviewed, the inevitable lecture about how the young guys aren’t aggressive enough/don’t produce enough comes. How will the practice ever survive without the old guys? My guess is that after all the unnecessary testing and complications not billed for are eliminated, and only 50 patients are seen because we listen and take care of them right the first time, we will indeed have a revenue problem. The only answer is to raise our rates for better care/longer visits. Concierge medicine anyone?
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