When I started working nearly 18 years ago as a pharmacist, fresh out of university and full of ambition, the Gen X and Boomer seniors would tell me my generation was the worst they'd ever seen. Apparently, Millennials were lazy, entitled, and clueless. Fast forward a bit, and I found myself working alongside these same seniors—now reluctant to embrace change—and, at the same time, leading younger Millennials and the Gen Z cohort.
Now, I'm seeing a familiar story unfold. We gripe about Gen Z. Their work ethic. Their approach to life. Their expectations. It's like a replay of what I heard about my own generation years ago. The truth is, every generation is molded by its environment. Boomers dealt with the bare minimum and made it work. Millennials, like myself, were thrown into an evolving healthcare environment where we were expected to bring in "patient-centered care" and embrace "pharmaceutical care" while still figuring out how to work beyond procurement and dispensing. And now, there's Gen Z, diving headfirst into a world of technology, reimagining healthcare access through non-human consultations, chatbots, and AI—things that probably make some of my peers uneasy.
Working in healthcare, I get it, change can be uncomfortable. I remember when I started, seniors would complain that we were being paid too much. They'd worked harder for far less, and with fewer people on their teams. But honestly, I remember them struggling. Struggling with patient management. Struggling with the new idea that maybe the patient should be at the center of care. We adapted to that. Now the world has shifted again, and guess what? Gen Z will adapt to whatever it needs. Gen Z pharmacists will handle Gen Z problems. That's how it's supposed to work.
Look, I'm not saying I haven't complained about Gen Z myself. The differences are there, sure—they have their own way of seeing and solving problems. Sometimes, yes, I've found myself frustrated. I guess it's natural. But the reality is, the world moves on, and we're part of it. Generational change can't be stopped, only managed.
One thing I think about often is the "hardship competition" that seems to pop up between generations. Because we endured hardship, so should they. Because we worked unpaid overtime, they should too. We boast about how resilient we are, but perhaps forget that their struggles are different from ours—not lesser, just different.
I saw a Facebook post the other day about fresh graduates expecting a RM3000 starting salary. The comments were predictably brutal. The "strawberry generation" doesn't want to put in the effort, they said. They're delusional. Delulu, in Gen Z's words. But honestly? It makes sense to me. In 2022, the median household income for the B40 group was RM3400. It's not exactly delusional to want a salary that lets you live beyond scraping by. Maybe we're the ones being unrealistic—holding onto the belief that because we survived, they must too, under the same outdated rules.
We proudly call ourselves the greatest generation, but then ridicule the next one for expecting fairness. Labeling them, generalizing them, without reflecting that our own failures might have set the stage for what they're asking for now. If we can't pay them what they deserve, isn't that our problem more than theirs?
In healthcare, especially, we need to acknowledge how each generation brings something new to the table. The ways we engage with patients, the shift towards technology, and the demands for better work-life balance are all part of evolving patient care. In the end, I think it's time to stop romanticizing our hardships and start acknowledging the challenges of today. Different era, different problems. The only constant is change, and maybe—just maybe—we should take a leaf out of Gen Z's book and adapt.
Dr. Fahmi Hassan is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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