1. Communicating Effectively with the Millennial Generation Medical Student
Suzanne Minor, MD
Florida International University
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

2. Generations World War II: born before 1946 Baby Boomers: 1946-1964
Generation X:
Millennial Generation:
Moreno-Walton L, Brunett P, Akhtar S, DeBlieux PMC. Teaching across the generation gap: a consensus from the council of emergency medicine residency directors 2009 academic assembly. 2009;16:S19-S24.

3. Strauss and Howe: Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, 2000
Fairfax County, VA
Median household income 2 times national average
5% households below poverty line
67% Caucasian, 13% Asian, 10% Hispanic,
8% African American
Howe N, Strauss W. Millennials Rising: the next great generation. Vintage
Spector JM. Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, Third Edition. Taylor & Francis US, 2008.
Is this applicable to all Millennials?

4. Strauss and Howe
Make broad generalizations which may not apply to minorities or lower socioeconomic individuals
Others dispute their conclusions
Twenge JM. Generational changes and their impact in the classroom: teaching
Generation Me. Medical Education. 2009;43:
Wilson M, Gerber LE. How generation theory can improve teaching: strategies for
working with the “Millennials”. Currents in teaching and learning. 2008;1:29-44.

5. 7 Traits, by Strauss and Howe
Special
Sheltered
Confident
Team-Oriented
Achieving
Pressured
Conventional

6. 1. Special Embraced by their parents Entitled Indulged Narcissistic
Easily distracted, multi-taskers
Identity does not come from being a doctor; rather being a doctor is a job
Boateng B. Should generational characteristics be considered in instructional methods? The instructional preferences of millennials and its implications for medical education. The Internet Journal of Medical Education. 2011;2. Accessed August 21, 2011.
Twenge JM. Generational changes and their impact in the classroom: teaching Generation Me. Medical Education ;43:

7. 2. Sheltered Buckled up Helmets on Padded playgrounds
Reminded of deadlines by parents
May expect extra help or resources
Moreno-Walton L, Brunett P, Akhtar S, DeBlieux PMC. Teaching across the generation gap: a consensus from the council of emergency medicine residency directors 2009 academic assembly. 2009;16:S19-S24.

8. 3. Confident
Content
Optimistic
Self-assured

9. 4. Team-Oriented
Used to working in teams
Task groups

10. 5. Achieving Long range plan
Millennials motivated by achievement and affiliation versus Generation X motivated by Power
Borges NJ, Manuel RS, Elam CL, Jones BJ. Differences
in motives between Millennial and Generation X medical
students. Medical Education. 2010;44:

11. 6. Pressured To excel Study hard Avoid personal risks
College stress epidemic

12. 7. Conventional
Strong attachments to family
Family Unity

13. Literacy Decreasing traditional academic literacy
Increasing media literacy
Implications – for communication, syllabus
Considine D, Horton J, Moorman G. Teaching and
reading the Millennial Generation through media
literacy. 2009;52:

14. Communication? Clear rules, Expectations & Consequences
Deadlines & Pace
What is flexible?
Summative assessment details
When is team-work ok?
Ethics and consequences
Role model
Moreno-Walton L, Brunett P, Akhtar S, DeBlieux PMC. Teaching across the generation gap: a consensus from the council of emergency medicine residency directors 2009 academic assembly. 2009;16:S19-S24.
Boateng B. Should generational characteristics be considered in instructional methods? The instructional preferences of millennials and its implications for medical education. The Internet Journal of Medical Education. 2011;2. Accessed August 21, 2011.

15. Consistent
Accountability

16. Why?

17. How? Face to face, email, phone, text…
Written communication - concise, like a text message

18. Reading assignments Smaller!?
Considine D, Horton J, Moorman G. Teaching and
reading the Millennial Generation through media
literacy. 2009;52:

19. Feedback Frequent Enthusiastic Think T-ball coach
Moreno-Walton L, Brunett P, Akhtar S, DeBlieux PMC.
Teaching across the generation gap: a consensus from the
council of emergency medicine residency directors 2009
academic assembly. 2009;16:S19-S24.
Chernoff A. The Millennials – ever optimistic about jobs.
CNNMoney. Accessed August 21, money.cnn.com/2011/05/18/news/economy/millennial_generation_workers/index.htm

20. Responsibility?
A 2 way street!

21. Questions?