How to Spot a Gen Z Doctor: A Veteran Physician's Field Notes

Recently, I’ve realized something funny is happening in our hospital: Gen Z has arrived. They’re in scrubs, stethoscopes around their necks, and asking me (ME!) for case updates.

I’ve been a physician for over 30 years. Long enough to see medical charts go from paper to iPads, lunch breaks turn into Zoom meetings, and now—Millennials becoming the middle managers and Gen Z walking in with oat milk lattes and Apple Watches that tell them when to breathe.

So how do you spot a Gen Z healthcare professional? Let me walk you through it.

1. Their Scrubs? Tailored. Their Sneakers? Immaculate.

Gone are the days when young doctors wore oversized scrubs two shades too pale and shoes that had seen the battlefield. Gen Z shows up in custom-fitted jogger scrubs, white Nikes that never touch dirt, and probably a badge reel with a meme or “emotional support water bottle” sticker on it.

Bonus: If their stethoscope color matches their water bottle, that’s a certified Gen Z move.

2. They Will Chart with Vibes and Precision

Watching a Gen Z doctor chart is like watching a concert pianist on TikTok. One tab open for the EMR. One for UpToDate. One for Spotify (“Focus Mode” playlist). Their typing? Ferocious. Their note? Thorough. Their abbreviations? Somehow legally sound and weirdly poetic.

Also, they will use terms like “the patient vibes stable but could decompensate” in verbal handoff. I’ve heard it. I swear.

3. They Will Ask for Feedback—and a Therapist

Gen Z doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out. And honestly? That’s refreshing.

They’ll ask, “How did I do on rounds today?” And they’ll actually want an answer that’s not “fine.”

They’ll also casually mention that they’ve started therapy, are journaling at lunch, and have a trauma-informed approach to handling rude patients. I once overheard one saying, “I just try to meet resistance with curiosity.” I think my attending in 1989 would've just yelled.

4. They Communicate in GIFs, Memes, and Google Calendar Invites

Need to reach a Gen Z nurse or PA? Don’t page. Don’t email. Just send them a Google Calendar invite labeled “Quick Vibe Check” with a location pin at the hospital cafeteria. Include a meme in the notes section. They’ll show up, latte in hand.

They also love using phrases like:

• “Let’s debrief this emotionally.”
• “That patient encounter was ✨a lot✨.”
• “I’m gonna soft-launch my specialty choice this month.”
  
  

5. They Will Challenge Systems—Respectfully (But Relentlessly)

Gen Z isn’t afraid to ask why things are the way they are. Why do we still use fax machines? Why is burnout normalized? Why can’t we restructure night float to not feel like a personal crisis?

And while their questions might raise some eyebrows at first, they also spark conversations we should have had a decade ago. They’re not here to burn it all down (unless that’s the most efficient solution)—they just want a healthcare system that’s more compassionate, equitable, and human.

6. Their Self-Care Game Is Untouchable

Yoga mats in their locker. Sleep tracker rings. They’ll say things like “I’m protecting my peace” before declining a fourth back-to-back shift. One asked me if I’d tried magnesium supplements for stress. (No. I had not. I now do.)

They romanticize the little things—sunlight through the OR windows, a kind patient, a perfectly drawn blood sample. It’s…kind of beautiful, actually.

7. They Bring Their Whole Selves to Work

They’ll show up with their nails painted, their pronouns on their badge, and a playlist they made for suturing. They’re unapologetically themselves—and they bring that same authenticity to patient care.

I’ve seen Gen Z doctors sit on the floor with pediatric patients, pull up an anatomy TikTox to explain conditions, and use inclusive language with ease. The kind of care they provide feels less like a system and more like humanity in action.

Final Thoughts From a Boomer in Scrubs

If you’re wondering whether I like working with Gen Z—the answer is: I love it. They challenge me, teach me new slang (still don’t know what “mid” means), and remind me why I got into medicine in the first place.

They are changing the field—and honestly, it’s for the better.

So if you see someone documenting rounds while sipping matcha, correcting outdated clinical terms with grace, and somehow still making time to stretch between consults—that’s probably your Gen Z doc. And trust me, the future is in very good hands.

Want to meet Gen Z changemakers in global health? Join a Go Elective internship abroad and connect with the next generation of globally minded, tech-savvy, purpose-driven healthcare professionals.

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Author: Go-Elective Abroad

Date Published: May 13, 2025