The Sad Mindset of Many Young Physicians

I am the last physician in primary care in my training class that is still in active practice locally. I am the only primary care physician that is not an employee of the two local health care systems. I am the only primary care physician on my hospital staff that still has admitting privileges for his patients.

Since I am not getting any younger, I have looked for a graduating resident who would be interested in joining the practice and potentially as a future partner. This would provide continuing care for my patients and in the future, allow me to retire if I chose by selling my share to the partner.

I have had conversations with many of the residents on this subject but there is no interest in my type of practice. The residents do not want to take call at night, even though I rarely have a patient page me since they can be seen at the office generally the same day.

The residents do not want to go to the emergency room for admissions nor make rounds at the hospital or occasionally nursing homes. They are interested in a 9-5 job at the office only and will not consider working Saturdays until noon.

They want a fixed schedule of patients with no walk ins or emergency patients. They have no interest in learning how to run a practice; buying supplies; hiring and firing employees or office accounting. Why do all this when you can get a pay check from the hospital with no other effort. We have trained a generation of physicians who want a job not a profession.

How sad is that?