Radiology will welcome its first class of Generation Z residents this year with the upcoming match, and there are a few things departments can do to prepare.

That’s according to a new editorial on this topic, published Wednesday in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Born after 1996, this group now makes up about one-quarter of the U.S. population. Physician members of Gen Z will come with unique nuances of which the radiology workforce should be aware.

“Responding to generational change is challenging for organizations, but the radiology community must be proactive to welcome and embrace the changing face of its workforce,” Eric D. Cyphers, BS, a borderline member of Gen Z (technically born in December 1996) who plans to pursue a match in the 2024 round, and co-authors wrote March 8.

Cyphers et al. pinpointed a few characteristic traits of this generation that radiology leaders should keep in mind. They’re “digital natives,” having spent their entire lives with the internet and most of it with smartphones. Members of Generation Z also are socially conscious and value diversity, equity and inclusivity. And they’re resilient, having grown up in a rapidly changing world, they can easily adapt to the “challenges of radiology’s future,” the authors wrote.

“Although generalizations about individual generations are inherently limited, incorporating insight into demographic shifts into radiology education and practice can still have benefits,” Cyphers and co-authors noted. “Taking the cue from Gen Z, we should continue hybrid educational meetings, create novel digital assessment strategies, and improve the way we thrive at work by achieving progress in addressing the stigma of mental health.”

Read the rest of the opinion piece in the official journal of the American Roentgen Ray Society below.