Such an interesting topic as there is such nuance in this. Work ethic is variable per resident, some have it, some develop it, some never get it, and some will lose it during residency. Do I think the work ethic is less, not really as I believe there is a shift with this generation on how they approach life and I think it is probably healthy and for the best. The problem that OMS programs run into is that they have a set way the program is run/managed for many years and are not set up to be flexible or change. So how do you get a program to change and it is possible? That to me is the question. All of us have heard the "when I was in residency..." statement. That mindset has to change and change starts at the top. Both organizationally and per program. There are some previously absolute dominant programs that are now seen as quite malignant and no change is happening because the faculty don't see a problem. But time will catch up with everyone.
We are beginning to see this change in the way the new CODA standards are written. They are now incorporating resident wellness requirements and work hour monitoring. These will continue to be added to the standards forcing programs to change. Whether they want to or not. I am hopeful this will also change culture over time. Nothing in education happens fast.
Learners/residents are changing as well, they expect a more work life balance. This comes with costs though, residency programs may need to increase training time to make sure that standards are being met. This is being discussed across medicine, surgery and OMS.
My two cents.
