Mind the Gap: Generational Differences in Medical Education

The inspiration for this book came from a series of conversations with mid-career faculty at an educational meeting. For the first time in human history there are four to five generations interacting regularly in society and the workplace. Sociologists and popular culture have given these groups names: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. While intergenerational differences have been ever present in our history, the likelihood that someone may be interacting with, working with, or supervising an individual three generations distant from theirs is becoming more commonplace. The book is intended to be practical with ideas that are immediately applicable. Our goal for this book is raise awareness of how generational issues impact medical education and provide medical educators, trainees, supervisors, and employers with an understanding of how the newer generations learn, work, interact with patients, and will potentially lead.