When some patients are assigned to a relatively young doctor, they may feel concerned that they will not get the best possible care. Perhaps the doctor is younger than the patient. That person may even ask to have a different physician because they want to make sure that nothing goes wrong. They want someone with experience.
But is this concern warranted? Some studies claim that younger doctors offer a lower chance of medical mistakes and that patients are more likely to pass away when treated by older physicians. Let’s look at both sides of the issue.
Up-to-date medical knowledge
Proponents of working with younger doctors often note that they have more current medical knowledge. They may have more recently gone to medical school, so they’re aware of the latest advancements and they know about the most current procedures. Medical knowledge changes all the time, as does technology. Older physicians could be out of touch with current trends, relying on knowledge and tactics they learned decades ago.
That said, older physicians definitely have more experience, and this experience can be more valuable than anything they learned in school. They may also have more senior positions and take on more challenging cases. The higher rate of patients passing away may not be due to medical mistakes, but due to the fact that an experienced doctor gets the most difficult cases on a consistent basis.
The truth is that medical malpractice can happen with any doctor. Those who have suffered harm or lost a loved one need to consider their legal options carefully.