Innovative educational approaches must meet 21st century healthcare and education requirements. Professional educators and students (as future professionals) are healthcare stakeholders who must take responsibility for meeting the challenges of improving healthcare for patients and populations by attending to the knowledge, skills and attitudes of future healthcare professionals.[1] Current undergraduate students, or Generation Y (also referred to as Millennials or the Net Generation), born between 1981 and 2000, have a distinct profile and characteristics as a result of the era during which they were born.[2] They are said to be confident and ambitious, preferring specific learning styles, including active experiential learning and multitasking, and communication technology for information access and interpersonal relationships.[3,4] Their world has been shaped by the informationcommunication technology (ICT) revolution, and global social, political and economic changes that have an impact on their attitudes and behaviours.[5] This discourse has led to a trend in health sciences education, i.e. incorporating technology to address the challenges found in teaching and learning.[6] An awareness of Generation Y’s characteristics is essential when addressing current issues and planning future strategies in academic medicine.[7] However, caution should be exercised when attempting to separate myth from reality regarding the core behaviours and attitudes of Generation Y students. An understanding of how different generations view each other, and exploring the impact on teaching and learning, should precede any intended changes to education.[8] Limited empirical data regarding Generation Y characteristics beyond the hype portrayed in the popular media are available, and a more conservative view regarding the sweeping claims about ‘digital natives’ is advisable.[8,9]