The Gen Z Attending Has Entered the Chat: Ego, Labor, and What Comes After the Old Guard

In this episode, Frances Mei sits down with the Gen Z Attending, Bright Zhou, for a conversation that slices straight into the cultural fault lines of modern medicine. They unpack why so many attending physicians are burning out—not because of clinical load, but because they’re employed physicians who refuse to see themselves as such. They explore generational ego, immigrant patient dynamics, patriarchal expectations from both patients and colleagues, and why Gen Z clinicians are opting out of the “medicine as martyrdom” model altogether.From the service-industry analogy that makes older doctors nauseous, to the rise of resident unions, to the impossible fantasy of “total control” in employed practice, Bright reframes the future: less ego, more collective action, more boundaries, more transparency. They also dive into how AI, social media, and patient education are quietly expanding the 20-minute visit far beyond the clinic walls.If you’ve ever wondered why the old guard is furious and the new guard is thriving—or why your attending seems personally offended you don’t want surgery—this is your episode.Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MDGuest: Bright Zhou, MD, MSConnect with Bright: @genzattendingPresented by: The Hippocratic CollectiveFollow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimdAnd subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.