Generation Y (also known as Millennials, among other things) are a rising force in the U.S. workforce—although it is a bit tricky to pin down just who belongs the generation as no precise cutoffs for birthdates exist to define it.

Nevertheless, the younger generation will shape the future of orthopedic medicine and their uniquely achievement-oriented and family-centric qualities are worth considering, explained Les Jebson, executive director of the University of Florida & Shands Healthcare System at the Becker’s Hospital Review annual meeting in Chicago on May 18.

While orthopedic surgeons have traditionally been an independent lot, the younger generation of orthopedic surgeons is more tolerant of the prospect of hospital employment—perhaps out of necessity. “About 25 percent of all orthopedic doctors are now hospital employed,” Jebson explained in Becker’s Hospital Review. 

Gen Y surgeons eschewing hospital employment seek to obtain partnership at a private practice group early on—many within 24 months.

Also mentioned in the Becker’s article is the coming shortage of orthopedic surgeons, which may make it difficult to accommodate the projected volume of future joint replacement procedures.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Gen Y are, for the most part, proponents of electronic medical records.

 Brian Buntz is the editor-at-large at UBM Canon's medical group. Follow him on Twitter at @brian_buntz. 

The full article on Becker's Hospital Review is worth a read: Mindsets in Employing Generation Y Orthopedic Surgeons