Bridging the Generation Gap: Helping Gen Z Students Learn and Thrive in Radiology
Tips for mentoring, leading and engaging with young radiologists
The learning environment in radiology has been evolving for a long time, and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated that evolution, according to Gregory Postel, MD, an interventional neuroradiologist and self-described lifelong medical educator.
Dr. Postel, senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, has been a radiology program director, radiology department chair and served as president of two different public universities.
He and other experts discussed the learning styles and preferences of Generation Z (Gen Z) medical students, residents and fellows during an RSNA 2025 education session sponsored by the RSNA Professionalism Committee and the RSNA Resident and Fellow Committee.
The Rise of Asynchronous Learning
Gen Z is a term used to refer to individuals born approximately between 1997 and 2012. The group is frequently characterized by their digital nativity, diversity and unique social values, characteristics that were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Postel noted that during the pandemic, asynchronous learning became essential, and that the preference for this kind of learning among members of Gen Z has continued, despite the pandemic’s end.
Today’s young people prefer to have the flexibility of learning when they choose, and they like to choose the pace of learning, Dr. Postel noted.
He emphasized that while some students go through the material very quickly and repetitively others like to go through the material in a more methodical way and learn more slowly. The asynchronous setting allows for that type of variability.
There are drawbacks, however.
Dr. Postel said that learners sometimes must seek out feedback instead of receiving it immediately during instruction, underscoring the value of real-time correction in traditional synchronous learning.
In addition, asynchronous learning can lead to less group study. This raises concerns, he noted, because so many aspects of practicing medicine—such as doing multidisciplinary rounds and case management conferences—require the ability to work effectively in a group.
Experiential Learning and AI
Members of Gen Z also have a clear preference for experiential learning, Dr. Postel said. At the University of Cincinnati, the Fundamentals of Doctoring program allows for hands-on opportunities for medical students where they align with a professional in an area of interest to them.
Students are looking for relevant, important experiences with this type of learning, and they are looking for accommodations, he said.
Simulation is another evolving area, according to Dr. Postel.
At his institution, he reports seeing AI-generated case management simulations which students learn from and use to help prepare for their boards and their future practice.
Gen Z learners are particularly well acclimated to these types of technologies, and in his view, perhaps almost too much so. He and his colleagues are concerned about student reliance on AI, even before they have mastered the material, noting the importance of a radiologist learning to assess an unknown and generate a differential diagnosis.
“I think many educators wonder how Gen Z learners feel about attending class in person. Overall, my peers and I do feel that in-person time is important for our professional identity formation, and if the teaching is good, it's a lot more efficient than learning on your own.”
— JENNY M. VO-PHAMHI, MST
The Medical Student Perspective
Jenny M. Vo-Phamhi, MSt, a fourth-year medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City, has spoken with her peers at medical schools across the United States about their training and mentorship experiences.
“I think many educators wonder how Gen Z learners feel about attending class in person,” she said. “Overall, my peers and I do feel that in-person time is important for our professional identity formation, and if the teaching is good, it's a lot more efficient than learning on your own.”
Vo-Phamhi noted that the importance of open dialogue is a recurring theme for students, as is the value of iterative teaching with continuous feedback loops. “Many of us agree we learn best with case-based questions, continuous check ins and being asked, ‘Now, what do you do next?’”
Overall, Vo-Phamhi said she and her fellow students feel the average attention span of someone from Gen Z is a little shorter than prior generations. “Because of this, interactive learning is useful,” she said. “We value it because you can't get it from just watching a video lecture at home or studying a textbook on your own.”
Vo-Phamhi also noted that her peers are open to using AI and other tech and believe that if they don’t use it, they will be left behind. However, they also don’t want to become too reliant on it.
Young radiologists are also mindful of wellness. “My Gen Z peers are hoping to build sustainable careers with many decades of productivity, so healthy work environments are necessary,” she said.
Creating a Supportive Environment
Michel Eisenblätter, MD, PhD, agreed with the importance of wellness for the young generation of radiologists.
Dr. Eisenblätter is clinical director in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and is medical director/CMO at the University of Bielefeld Medical Center in Germany. He serves as chair of clinical radiology at the University of Bielefeld Medical School.
He noted that radiology trainees in Germany look for a working atmosphere in which they feel respected and supported. They also value high-quality, structured learning, involvement in decision-making at the department level, and career development and planning.
Structured training is also crucial, Dr. Eisenblätter said.
“Continuous feedback is quite important. We cannot just let people train four or five years and tell them afterwards that they never actually met the expectations that are required to become a proper radiologist.”
— MICHEL EISENBLÄTTER, MD, PHD
“Residents need to know what's coming next in their training curriculum,” he said, noting that all residents in his department go through three-month rotations in the same way, following the same timing.
At each step, the residents communicate with their trainers about what they want to achieve within the next rotation. “Continuous feedback is quite important,” Dr. Eisenblätter noted. “We cannot just let people train four or five years and tell them afterwards that they never actually met the expectations that are required to become a proper radiologist.”
As educators adapt to how Gen Z learns, they are also grappling with how those learners will move through the radiology pipeline. Workforce shortages, accelerated training pathways and evolving expectations for wellness have heightened the need for environments that support trainees beyond the classroom.
“Understanding the wishes, attitudes and perspectives of younger radiologists and medical students is essential if we want to shape a specialty that remains attractive, inclusive and forward-thinking.”
— NADINE BAYERL, MD
There is no future for radiology without the next generation, asserted Nadine Bayerl, MD, a fellow in the Department of Radiology at the University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
Dr. Bayerl co-moderated the session with Brandon K.K. Fields, MD, resident physician at the University of California, San Francisco.
“Understanding the wishes, attitudes and perspectives of younger radiologists and medical students is essential if we want to shape a specialty that remains attractive, inclusive and forward-thinking,” Dr. Bayerl said.
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