I am a Millennial, a part of the generation whose members are often characterized in society as having unrealistic expectations from life, being narcissistic, egotistic, and spending too much time online. I believe that some of these characteristics are partially true, but more often, they entail positive implications, such as millennials’ determination to achieve their goals and being well-informed about various topics. My generation significantly influenced my views on medicine-related issues and problems, for example, it shaped my belief that the single-payer healthcare system is a better option compared to the current one in the U.S. The attitude towards abortions is also an important theme for millennials who, including me, mostly support the pro-choice stance and the women’s opportunity to make their own decisions concerning their bodies. Similarly, my generation affected my attitude towards birth control pills, which I view as a safe way of preventing unwanted pregnancy and the majority of my friends have the same opinion.
As it was mentioned before, millennials are a tech-savvy generation and spend long hours on the Internet, where they consume information. This quality is beneficial for the medical profession because doctors and nurses must pursue the evidence-based practice, which ultimately results in their ability to provide excellent patient care. Millennials can go online and quickly find relevant studies about a medical topic they need to address and find the best practices to treat their patient’s illnesses. Yet, this also poses a challenge for millennial doctors since such overreliance on technology can affect their capacity to provide help in critical situations when there is no access to the Internet. Nevertheless, another positive quality characteristic of millennials is perseverance, which is vital in their task to reform the healthcare system and make it more affordable by switching to the single-payer option.