Facilitating a tutorial with medical students who appeared unusually tentative and apathetic prompted me to reflect upon the intergenerational character of Medicine and consider how we might counter the pervasive pessimism that leads to demoralisation and disillusionment. Engaging in local Communities of Practice may allow clinicians, old and new, to maintain enjoyment and fulfilment in Medicine.
Keywords: burnout; communities of practice; fulfilment; intergenerational; medical practice.