When you go in to see your doctor, you’re hoping to get excellent treatment. You know that you deserve the same standard of care that you’d get anywhere else. There are a lot of factors that can play into this, and you may find yourself wondering if your doctor’s age is one of them.
For instance, people are often wary of younger doctors. They just don’t seem like they’re old enough to offer the same level of service that you would get from someone with decades of experience. They prefer to see an older doctor, if possible. But is this wise, and does the age of your doctor even impact your care at all?
There are pros and cons to both
Opinions are largely split on this. On one side, older doctors do have experience and knowledge that younger doctors simply don’t have. On the other, younger doctors were more recently in school and may have a better knowledge of new technologies or new treatment options.
There is some evidence that younger doctors may provide a higher level of care than older doctors, despite the common perception that an older doctor is going to give you better care. In fact, one study that looked at survival rates found that they were a little higher when people actually had a younger physician. Those with older physicians had a higher fatality rate.
This is not to say that you can’t get world-class care from an older doctor, of course, or that a younger doctor can’t make a mistake due to their lack of experience. Both can happen, but the statistics are interesting to note. If you do suffer from a negative event that leaves you injured or even takes the life of a loved one, be sure you know what legal steps to take.