There are terrific doctors across the entire age spectrum. But if you find yourself in a dead heat choosing between a younger or older doctor, I would go with the younger one. In advocating for young doctors, I must disclose my conflict of interest: As a professor at a medical school, that’s who I teach. But I also have a greater conflict of interest: that’s who takes care of me. At age 43, I’ve had two terrific primary-care doctors over the past 15 years – one who just retired and now one who just graduated. She is far younger than I am, but in many ways, she’s far better than I am. She is knowledgeable and astute, understands the system but also understands me, and is a terrific communicator – electronically and in person. Patients sometimes understandably raise concerns about the inexperience of younger physicians. Although studies show that younger doctors are more up to date about medical science, what matters more is that they are more fluent with the sciences of communication, teamwork and improvement. They learned these skills during medical training, while the rest of us are picking them up piecemeal along the way. When it comes to modern technology – whether it’s prompt replies to patient emails or the use of a bedside ultrasound machine – I never hesitate to let patients know it’s the younger doctor (not me) that they want. Finally, I assure patients that any shortcoming in years will be offset by their doctor’s willingness to go the extra mile for them. I’m never proved wrong. Sometimes it’s older doctors who hesitate to endorse the care of younger physicians because they hold stereotypes about the work ethic or conceit of the next generation. Those complaints (“kids these days”) are as old as time and are driven by selective memories of our former selves and now the pseudoscience of millennial or Generation X doctors. It only takes but a minute to share examples of how smart and dedicated young physicians are and how they share senior colleagues’ professional ideals, even when the health-care environment conspires against reaching them. Every once in a while, the younger doctor wonders if he or she is the best clinician for the skeptical patient before them. It is easy to underscore the thousands of hours of study and training they have devoted to serve as someone’s physician. But it’s more effective to remind them of something I saw them do in the past that would make me honored to have them take care of my family member. I share tips about listening more than talking and then I share my most important tip – a quote from Theodore Roosevelt – that should be their guiding principle on this day and throughout their career: “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Go ahead and pick the young doctor – if you do it right, the two of you can grow old together. Source
