There’s a long-overdue cultural shift happening in medicine. Once spoken about only in hushed tones or not at all, menopause is having its moment — thanks to the generation of women who never hesitate to speak up: Gen X.

These are the women who grew up on “Free to Be…You and Me,” who broke barriers in boardrooms and classrooms and who now find themselves facing hot flashes, brain fog, mood changes and a healthcare system that hasn’t always known what to do with them. But that’s changing fast.

Gen X Is Talking, and the World Is Listening

Unlike previous generations, Gen X is not going quietly into perimenopause. They’re sharing their experiences openly over social media and glasses of wine. Women now know more than their mothers and grandmothers and are, rightly, demanding better care from physicians who will take their symptoms seriously.

New studies are being published. Treatments are evolving. Hormone therapy is being re-evaluated. News reports, podcasts and books are amplifying the voices of women who are done being sidelined by silence.

But there’s still one critical gap: too few doctors are trained to be the trusted guides these women demand. A December 2024 study titled “Addressing Menopause Symptoms in the Primary Care Setting: Opportunity to Bridge Care Delivery Gaps,” published by the National Institutes of Health, found that women’s menopausal complaints to their primary health care professionals were going undocumented and untreated.

“A greater proportion of women in our study had [electronic health records] EHR documentation of bothersome menopause symptoms than those reported in other studies, but vasomotor symptoms remain generally untreated. We need better methods for identifying midlife women with bothersome menopause symptoms in primary care clinics so that appropriate treatment options, including hormone therapy, can be discussed and offered,” the study’s authors concluded.

A Call to Action for Primary Care and Menopause

As women seek more comprehensive, connected care during menopause, primary care physicians can meet that need.

Retraining as a primary care physician allows doctors to be more than a diagnostician. Primary care physicians are partners and advocates. They are a consistent presence as patients navigate the physical, emotional and lifestyle shifts that come with midlife.

For doctors who feel disconnected from their current specialty, are returning from time away from practice, are transitioning toward retirement or are looking for more meaning in their practice, retraining as a primary care physician offers a powerful professional pivot. Women physicians especially, who might be navigating their own menopausal changes, can bring the compassion and care women in their 40s and 50s need. They can offer clarity, confidence and continuity.

Why Now is the Time to Retrain in Primary Care

The demand is growing for physicians who understand the full scope of menopause and who can guide women through it with empathy and evidence-based care.

Primary care is the front line of this movement.

It’s not just about managing symptoms. It’s about empowering women in midlife to feel heard, supported and informed. It’s about changing the narrative on aging, vitality and women’s health.

If you’ve been thinking about a new path in medicine — one where you can make a lasting impact in your patients’ lives — consider retraining as a primary care physician with the Physician Retraining and Reentry program. There’s never been a more important or more rewarding time to step into this role.