02/21/2025    Allen M. Jacobs, DPM

American Foot Care Nurses Association (Ivar E. Roth, DPM, MPH)

Dr. Roth has made the observation that some of the
young residents and practitioners lack the drive
and intensity to work longer hours and harder than
his generation. Many of today’s younger doctors
are smart and seek a much better work life balance
than did my generation. This is in my opinion a
good thing not a bad thing. This generation wishes
to reduce the stress and burnout that has
afflicted so many healthcare providers in today’s
world. The newer generation is not as motivated to
generate maximum income, but rather maintain a
good work balance while providing good care for
their patients. They do not wish to engage in the
long hours and sacrifices that our generation was
taught to be part of being a doctor.

Work life balance integration is important to many
of our younger doctors. Older healthcare providers
may not relate to this manner of thinking.
However, younger doctors are anxious to limit
commitment to being a podiatrist and set
boundaries for their work hours versus their
personal time. They participate in physical
fitness activities, which is helpful for stress
reduction, and overall health. They are more adept
at utilizing technology to make them more
efficient than our generation was.

In addition, studies have shown that only 9% of
medical graduates wish to enter private practice
with the remainder looking for some type of group
or institutional employment. In summary, work life
balance is a greater priority for many of today’s
graduates. The need for such work life balance was
discussed by the great medical educator, Sir
William Osler, MD over 100 years ago. This remains
true today.

Of course, remuneration for medical services
remains important given the fact that our young
graduates have several hundred thousand dollars in
debt when completing their education. However, it
is admirable that they want to be full-time people
and part-time doctors rather than full-time
doctors and part-time people. There there is
nothing wrong with this. Perhaps the major problem
is the inability of the older generation to accept
this perception of what a doctor should be.

Hopefully the young generation of new podiatrists
will not make the same poor choices with regard to
lifestyle that many in my generation have made. I
warned the residents with whom I work that life
goes quickly. In the end your family and friends
are with you. Podiatry will not be.

Allen M. Jacobs, DPM, St. Louis, MO

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