Description: The current physician workforce in the United States has seen increased diversification along the lines of race, gender, and specialization in recent years. A unique aspect of the current and evolving workforce is the generational diversity seen amongst practicing physicians. Spanning Gen-Z medical students, millennial physicians-in-training, early-career physicians, GenX, mid-career Baby Boomers, and Traditionalists/Silent Generation individuals winding down their careers, the physician workforce represents a rich spectrum of individuals working in health care today.
This session will provide an overview of the current and projected workforce demographics in the United States with specific attention to the physician workforce and build off of these principles to explore best practices for thinking about certification across this continuum. Attention will be paid to both initial and ongoing certification strategies and particular tools or techniques that can be leveraged for each of these shifting learner populations. Recognizing the importance of clinician well-being as supporting a central aim for improving the state of health care, the session will use the lens of certification as a processional wellness-enhancing effort to highlight effective solutions to reducing burnout that may be relevant across age groups. Through interactive exercises, audience members will build toolkits to bring back to their own roles in board certification.
Citations and Literature References (if none, write n/a): Boysen PG 2nd, Daste L, Northern T. Multigenerational Challenges and the Future of Graduate Medical Education. Ochsner J. 2016 Spring;16(1):101-7. PMID: 27046415; PMCID: PMC4795490.
Josephine J, Jones L. Understanding the Impact of Generation Gap on Teaching and Learning in Medical Education: A Phenomenological Study. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2022 Sep 16;13:1071-1079. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S370304. PMID: 36147583; PMCID: PMC9489091.
Gerhardt MW et al. "Harnessing Power in the Age of Diversity." Harvard Business Review, March 2022.
Learning Objectives:
List five generations currently present in the U.S. physician workforce and describe their learning styles
Describe technological solutions that can help learners across multiple generations achieve professional fulfillment from certification
