Person-Environment Fit: Implications for Vocational Students' Career in the Era of Crisis

Person-environment fit theory (PE-fit) theory emphasises a match between a person's attribute (P) and the workplace environment (E). However, a differential predictions hypothesis emphasises the different contributions of personal and environmental inputs to outcomes. Higher education students in Hong Kong (N = 380) completed a survey on their personal interest (P) and the contemporary threatening environment (E) (fear of pandemic, social unrest, international disputes) related to tourism-related outcomes (intent to join tourism, lifelong commitment, leadership, and anxiety) during COVID-19. Structural equation modelling found that P strongly predicted Intent, Lifelong, and Leadership, whereas E strongly predicted Anxiety, supporting the differential predictions hypothesis. PE-fit (P × positive E) predicted Intent in addition to the prediction of P, supporting the PE-fit hypothesis. The findings imply the different merits of PE-fit and differential predictions hypotheses for various vocational outcomes, and the importance of reinforcing students' interest to launch their career in challenging times. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

The self-perceived competency of dental students about contagious diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on their career plans.

BACKGROUND: Dentistry is reported as a very-high-risk profession for COVID-19 contagion. A lack of face-to-face education and poor information during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted dental students. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on career plans and self-perception of knowledge levels in undergraduate dental students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this multicenter cross-sectional study, a multiple-choice survey was completed by dental students of Near East University (NEU) in North Nicosia and University of Kyrenia (UoK) in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and Erciyes University (ERU) in Kayseri, Turkey, in 2020. The χ2 tests were used to determine statistically significant differences. RESULTS: Of the 755 students that participated in the study, 66% declared fear of being at risk for contagion. More than half of the students reported not having sufficient knowledge about occupational infections and methods for protection, and the percentages were significantly higher in female and preclinical students. Utilization of credible publications, guidelines (57% compared to 34%, p < 0.001) and online education (19% compared to 8%, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in students claiming to have adequate knowledge. Eleven percent of the students thought about dropping out of dental education because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These students exhibited a markedly increased fear of being at risk for contagion because of the COVID-19 pandemic (80% compared to 64%, p = 0.011). Seventy-six percent of the students were aiming for a dental specialty. Eighteen percent changed their desired specialty, and 25% were in search of a specialty that they believed required fewer close contact procedures. CONCLUSIONS: It is crucial to prepare students for the next possible outbreak using the knowledge gained during this pandemic by modifying the dental curriculum and providing credible information and psychological support to guide dental students in building a healthy career path.

Impacts of COVID-19 on career choices in health professionals and medical students.

BACKGROUNDS: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in not only significant mortalities in Vietnam but has had an impact on its economy. Previous studies have highlighted how the pandemic has had a marginal impact on Vietnamese healthcare workers working at the frontlines. To date, there have been several other studies examining the impact of COVID-19 on intentions to transition between jobs among healthcare professionals, but this has yet to be explored amongst Vietnamese healthcare workers. METHODS: To achieve the study's objectives an online cross-sectional study was conducted between September to November 2021. Snowball sampling methodology was adopted for the recruitment of participants. The questionnaire that was used for this study comprised of the following sections: (a) socio-demographic information; (b) impact of COVID-19 on work; (c) risk of exposure to COVID-19; (d) career choices/intentions to change job, and (e) motivation at work. RESULTS: There were 5727 completed the entire survey. 17.2% of the respondents have had increased job satisfaction, 26.4% reported increased motivation to work, and 40.9% reported decreased motivation to work. Whilst there were changes in the daily work intensity and the level of work-related stress, more than 60% of respondents we sampled did not intend to switch careers. Demographic variables like gender, whether one was a student or an existing healthcare worker, and income related to work motivation. The community's stigma was a negative factor that declined intrinsic motivation as well as decreased work retention. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is instrumental in identifying the impact of COVID-19 on career choices amongst Vietnamese healthcare workers. The factors identified have clear implications for policymaking.

Effects of metaverse-based career mentoring for nursing students: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies on metaverse-based career mentoring for college students in both quantitative and qualitative research. This study aimed to examine the effect of metaverse-based career mentoring among nursing students and explore the experiences of mentors and mentees. METHODS: This study used a mixed methods design using both a survey for collecting quantitative data and focus group interviews for a qualitative one. A total of 8 mentors and 43 mentees participated in the metaverse-based career mentoring program. The program covered eight career fields and was delivered across eight sessions of 60 min each, over six days. Career decision-making self-efficacy among mentees and platform and program satisfaction were measured before and after the program. Afterwards, 7 mentors and 12 mentees participated in the focus group interviews to investigate their experience of participating in the metaverse-based career mentoring program. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test. The qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. RESULTS: After the metaverse-based career mentoring program, mentees' career decision-making self-efficacy increased significantly compared to the baseline level. From the mentor-mentee focus group interviews, three key themes were derived: (i) communicating frankly and openly, (ii) being satisfied with realistic communication and program functions, and (iii) expecting an even more optimized program. CONCLUSIONS: A metaverse-based career mentoring program for nursing students can have a positive effect on their career decision-making self-efficacy. In addition, in terms of education, it is helpful as a non-face-to-face medium and feeling a sense of reality, so it is expected that it will be beneficial in education by applying various contents in the future.

The influence of COVID-19 on vocational hospitality and tourism students' career choices. (Special Issue: Tourism recovery under COVID-19: Experiences from China.)

This study explored the influence of COVID-19 on vocational hospitality and tourism students' career choices. 31 interviewees were approached through purposive and snowball sampling. This study found that students' attitudes toward working in the hospitality and tourism industry are changed by COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretically, this study developed a framework of the influence of COVID-19 on vocational hospitality and tourism students' career choices at three stages, including before COVID-19, during COVID-19 outbreak, and after COVID-19 outbreak. Practically, this study provided useful suggestions for government and employers to attract students to work in the hospitality and tourism industry after COVID-19 outbreak.

Factors affecting psychological health and career choice among medical students in eastern and western region of China after COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: To unearth superior countermeasures that improve psychological health and upgrade the quality of employment for medical students in China in post-epidemic era, this study was designed to determine the possible factors affecting psychological status and future career choice of this population. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were applied to measure psychological state. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were adopted to filtrate related factors for psychological health and employment intention. Results: A total of 936 medical students, including 522 from eastern universities and 414 from western universities, were enrolled in the study. Anxiety among students in China's western universities was higher than that in China's eastern universities (30.4% vs. 22.0%), but no differences in the occurrences of stress (11.4% vs. 13.4%), depression (28.7% vs. 24.5%) and insomnia (30.7% vs. 25.7%). Grades, academic ranking, household income, attitudes about COVID-19 were associated with the occurrence of psychological problems. In addition, major, education level, academic ranking, family income, and clinical experience may affect the choice of future employment location and employment income. Notably, household income affected by COVID-19 and the perception of epidemic prevention and control resulted in changes in future employment region and income. COVID-19 can lead medical students with psychological problems to have a negative attitude toward future employment. Encouragingly, multiple activities, namely, proactive consideration of employment, taking part in career planning training lectures and timely adjustment of career planning, were beneficial to the professional identity of medical students. Conclusion: This study suggests that medical student psychology is influenced by COVID-19 and academic and financial pressures; actively coping with COVID-19 and making career planning in advance will contribute to optimizing future employment. Our findings provide a potent guideline for relevant departments to accurately adjust job deployment and for medical students to actively choose a career in the future.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Pediatricians Entering the Pediatric Workforce.

OBJECTIVE: Determine extent of impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on career choice and employment of pediatricians entering pediatric workforce. METHODS: A national, cross-sectional electronic survey of pediatricians registering for the 2021 American Board of Pediatrics initial general certifying examination on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 3 aspects of career (career choice, employment search, employment offers) was performed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to determine factors associated with the pandemic's impact on career. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes for open-ended survey questions. RESULTS: Over half (52.3%, 1767 of 3380) of pediatricians responded. Overall, 29.1% reported that the pandemic impacted their career (career choice [10.4%], employment search [15.6%], or employment offers [19.0%]); applicants to general pediatrics (GP) (52.9%) or pediatric hospitalist (PH) positions (49.3%) were most affected. Multivariate logistic regression modeling found those applying to GP (odds ratio [OR]: 3.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.22-6.60), PH (OR: 9.02, 95% CI: 5.60-14.52), and International Medical Graduates (IMGs) (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.39-2.59) most likely to experience any career impact. CONCLUSIONS: Almost one third of pediatricians registering for the initial general pediatrics certifying examination reported their careers were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 10% of respondents reporting the pandemic impacted their career choice. Half of new pediatricians seeking employment reported being impacted by the pandemic, particularly IMGs. As the pandemic evolves, career advising will continue to be critical to support trainees in their career choices and employment.

How fear affects employees' performance: A process model

The effect of emotions on employees' attitudes, motivation, and workplace behaviors is an important and central topic in organizational behavior research. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test a model that explains how fear affects employees' performance. The model was tested on a sample of 177 nurses working in different Jordanian hospitals. A questionnaire was developed to measure the main constructs of this study. The data was analyzed in SPSS using simple regression to test the main direct hypotheses. The model hypothesizes that fear has a positive effect on two psychological states: emotional exhaustion and perceived stress. Moreover, it hypothesizes that these two states will affect employees' career choice regret, which, in turn, negatively affects employees' performance. The results provided statistical support for all the proposed hypotheses. We concluded that excessive fear provokes emotional exhaustion and stress in frontline employees and that these two psychological states contribute to the development of career choice regret, which eventually affects employees' performance. The findings of this study may enable managers to gain deeper insight into and a better understanding of the process by which fear influences employee performance. Finally, limitations and directions for future research are discussed. © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved.

Transforming the "SEAD": Evaluation of a Virtual Surgical Exploration and Discovery Program and its Effects on Career Decision-Making.

OBJECTIVE: The abrupt cessation of in-person education due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for preclerkship students to explore a career in surgery. To supplement the lack of exposure, the Surgical Exploration and Discovery (SEAD) program was transitioned to an entirely virtual format. This study aims to describe the virtual SEAD program and evaluate its effectiveness as a career decision-making (CDM) intervention. DESIGN: The week-long program was delivered on Microsoft Teams, featured 11 surgical specialties, and comprised four activities: live demonstrations, virtual operating room observerships, career talks, and technical skills workshops. The program was evaluated using the four levels of the Kirkpatrick model: (1) reactions, (2) knowledge, (3) CDM behaviors - assessed using the Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ) - and (4) results. The latter was indirectly assessed using CDDQ scores from an in-person SEAD program, where lower CDDQ scores indicate less difficulty with CDM. SETTING: Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Forty pre-clerkship students (27 first and 13 second year students) at the University of Ottawa RESULTS: Level 1: 97.5% of participants rated the program as good or very good. Live demonstration and technical skills workshops were the highest rated activities. Level 2: participants' scores on knowledge-based questions about a surgical career significantly increased following the program (pre: 9/25 vs post: 15/25, p = 0.008). Level 3: overall mean CDDQ scores (±SD) decreased difficulties with significantly following the program (pre: 45.6 ± 10.5 vs post: 38.8 ± 10.9, p < 0.001), which indicates decreased CDM difficulties. Level 4: Except for one sub-category, the difference in mean CDDQ scores between the virtual and in-person programs were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The program received the positive reactions and significantly increased participants' knowledge. The change in CDDQ scores following the virtual program suggests it may reduce career decision-making difficulties in the short-term. In-person surgical exposure remains important; however, a hybrid model may be valuable in resource limited settings. WC: 300.

Medical Students' Perception Towards Choosing Pathology Program at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: The selection of a specific medical specialty is crucial to medical students and is increasingly associated with future job satisfaction and success in the medical field. We aim to evaluate the perception of medical students at Jazan University towards choosing pathology as a future career and the factors influencing their decisions in order to better the employability of graduates and provide information to both the labor force and curriculum designers. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among a random sample of (391) students at the faculty of medicine, Jazan University, from the 2nd to 6th year who registered as a formal student in the academic year 2021/2022. Data was collected via (web-based) a self-administered questionnaire because of COVID-19 pandemic. Chi-squared tests and regression analysis were performed. Results: In this investigation, 92.9% of participants responded. Only 16.2% of undergraduates selected pathology as a future career choice. Among the participants who desired to choose pathology as a career, 28.6% preferred hematopathology as a future sub-specialty. Around 16% considered the most crucial reason for not choosing pathology is the preference for direct patient contact. The differences in age groups, academic level, GPA, and educational level of father between respondents who having a desire to choose pathology as a future career were found to be significantly different. Conclusion: Among the respondents involved in this study, only 16.2% were interested in pathology, while 3.1% chose the field as their first future career choice. Our findings can be applied to help undergraduate better prepare for the future and encourage them to apply to the pathology program to address the shortage of pathologists in the area. Qualitative research is a need to explore the perceptions of current pathology residents and the reasons that can encourage them to choose this important specialization as a future career.

Structure and evaluation of preventive medicine residency programs' websites: A cross sectional analysis.

The goal of this study was to analyze the content availability and accessibility of preventive medicine residency program websites. In COVID-related travel restrictions, the information provided on program websites has become increasingly crucial for residency applicants. A cross-sectional study was conducted by extracting the list of preventive medicine residency programs on the Fellowship and Residency Electronic and Interactive Database (FRIEDA). A 40-point criterion was used for the quality evaluation of residency programs. The study was conducted and analyzed in 2021. 82 preventive medicine residency programs were identified, and listed on FRIEDA, out of which 65 program websites were accessible. The median number of 40-point criteria met by the preventive medicine residency website was 25. The criteria fulfilled by the greatest number of program websites was research opportunity/facilities (94%). The majority of the preventive medicine residency program websites were not up to the mark regarding accessibility and quality. An updated preventive medicine residency program website is essential for the applicants. Programs with relevant and precise information on their websites have higher chances of attracting potential candidates and better chances of finding the match between applicants and programs.

Pandemic Disruption in Residency Did Not Alter Trends in Intended Scope of Practice.

We found the intended scope of practice remained unchanged in graduating family medicine residents between pre-pandemic and pandemic period. Tracking these trends with later cohorts will fully assess the pandemics' impact on training so that residencies can adjust their education accordingly.

Prosocial modelling matters: the association between parent and faculty involvement in fighting COVID-19 with medical students' career commitment.

BACKGROUND: Role models are essential in medical education, yet empirical research is relatively insufficient on the influence of prosocial modelling on medical students' career commitment. The prosocial behaviour of medical staff involved in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the beginning of 2020 presents an opportunity to fill the research gap. We explored and compared the different associations of the two most important role models for medical students - parents and faculty- with medical students' career commitment. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted with 99,559 undergraduate students majoring in clinical medicine in mainland China. Questions were asked to collect information about participants in the battle against COVID-19, medical students' determination to practice medicine after graduation, as well as students' socio-demographic characteristics. Chi-square tests and hierarchical regressions were performed to examine the associations between parent and faculty involvement and students' career commitment. RESULTS: The results showed statistically significant associations between prosocial modelling during the COVID-19 pandemic in China and students' intention to pursue medical careers. The association of faculty involvement (OR = 1.165, p < .001) with students' career commitment was greater than that of parents (OR = 0.970, p > .05). For faculty involvement, the association was stronger among male students (OR = 1.323, p < .001) and students who were already determined to be doctors (OR = 1.219, p < .001) before the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides new evidence on the potential roles of parents and faculty in shaping medical students' career commitment. Encouraging faculty to act as positive role models could help medical students increase their intention to become doctors.KEY MESSAGESProsocial modelling could enhance students' intention to pursue medical careers.The association of prosocial behaviour of faculty is larger than that of parents on medical students.Those who have prior medical career commitment are much more likely to persist in the medical profession, and prosocial modelling of faculty is positively associated with their medical career commitment.

CAREER MYTHS FROM STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS PERSPECTIVE

Drastic and structural changes in the labour market and organizational environment related to the Covid-19 pandemic, rapid technological development, general globalization trends, demographic deterioration and other economic changes signal the need to find new approaches to the classical career management paradigm. Several studies on occupational segregation show that various stereotypes and misconceptions affecting the choice of occupations for young people are still relevant, but changes in the working environment also determine changes in this context. The European Social Fund project "Career Support in General and Vocational Education Institutions" has made huge contributions to the improvement of the career guidance system in Latvia since 2016, developing and approbating career development support action plans, along with informative and methodological materials, as well as educating career counsellors and support specialists, thereby updating their approaches to career guidance and management. This study analysed the views of students and educational staff about current beliefs and stereotypes about career choices and management. Data from the 96 specialists and managers surveyed from different educational institutions reveal that educators have a strong belief in the importance of career stability. A majority believe that career choice is not always a guided process, although most support the involvement of career professionals. The importance of prestigious education and hard work, as well as success in one's career, is emphasized. The 10th through 12th grade students were surveyed in 2019-2020 in Daugavpils, Dobele, Ogre and Riga general educational schools. In the opinions of these pupils, there is evidence of various stereotypes regarding the choice of profession, as well as the correspondence of career beliefs and convictions within the dynamics of modern working life.

Motivations, sources of influence and barriers to being a podiatrist: a national questionnaire of student views.

BACKGROUND: Podiatry is an allied health profession which has seen a substantial decline in numbers in recent years. Every effort is required to recruit more students to reverse this diminishing supply and meet national foot health needs. To increase the number of applications to podiatry courses and encourage individuals to choose podiatry careers, the aim of this study was to understand the key motivations, sources of influence and barriers to choosing a podiatry career among current podiatry students, and consider the influence of choosing podiatry before or after a first career. METHODS: An online questionnaire, comprising mainly Likert-scale questions, was disseminated to podiatry students in England between February and March 2021. Respondents to the questionnaire were categorised as individuals who had either decided to engage in the profession 'before' or 'after' a first career. Mann-Whitney U non-parametric difference tests were performed to compare outcome questions relating to motivations, sources of influence and barriers between groups. RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen students completed the questionnaire. Overall, the study demonstrated many similarities between the groups (before and after a first career). However, there were distinct differences when considering some of the motivations (i.e., intellectually stimulating, student bursaries), sources of influence (i.e., own patient experience) and barriers (i.e., financial, job availability) associated with engaging in the podiatry profession. Overall, altruistic reasons were the key motivations for choosing podiatry. Personal sources of influence such as conducting own research, was the most important source of influence. Similar to other studies, a lack of awareness of the podiatry profession and what it entails remains problematic. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first national questionnaire investigating career choice decision-making for podiatry students in England or in any other country. The similarities suggest that marketing is applicable to both groups. However, an absolute must is a future national strategy that makes educational sources more impactful. Additionally, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the increased interest in health and care professions suggests now is the right time to market podiatry to individuals looking for a career change. Finally, the influence of personal encounters with podiatrists shows the transformational role podiatrists can have in recruiting to the profession.

The Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 on Students Who Choose the Medical Profession With Different Motivational Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated mental and psychological health problems worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine whether the psychological effects of COVID-19 were different in medical students who chose the medical profession with different motivational factors. In the study, there were 389 medical school students. The survey asks about sociodemographic features and the students' reasons for choosing the medical profession. The study also included a self-assessed Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale. While 41% of students chose the medical profession for economic reasons, the ratio of whom have an extrinsic and intrinsic source of motivation was 37% and 22%, respectively. It was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of motivational factors by gender. Almost 50% of males were affected by economic motivation factors. The difference in motivational factors between genders was found to be statistically significant. Anxiety in females, depression in students with low-income families, and hopelessness in students older than 22 years and interns were higher than in the others (P < .05). Median scores for anxiety, depression, and hopelessness were higher for students with extrinsic motivational sources. However, only the difference in scores of anxiety and hopelessness was found statistically significant (P < .05). We found that the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic varied according to both sociodemographic characteristics of the medical students and reasons for choosing medical profession. According to our results, the idealistic students interested in the medical profession, who want to support others and prioritize economic benefits, had fewer psychological issues than those who chose the medical profession due to family pressure or external factors.

Impact of COVID-19 epidemic on medical students' career perspectives: A qualitative study

Objective To explore the impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic on career choosing perspective among medical students and to analyze the related factors. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted during March 1-25 2020 among 19 medical students of 8-year program from Peking Union Medical College. The grounded theory and thematic analysis were applied to code the data and identify categories and factors. Results Among the 19 respondents aged 19-26 years, 9 were males and 10 were female;10 were at the clinical stage, and 9 were at the premedical stage;3 respondents had family members involved in medical profession. Thematic analysis identified 6 main categories that affect the variability of medical students' career prospects under the COVID-19 pandemic. The 6 themes were individual characteristics of students;occupational characteristics;systemic factors;COVID-19 events;stressors of physicians and influence of job satisfaction. The outbreak affected everyone's mind of future career to varying degrees. The participants had been exposed to more negative aspects, while only one participant changed her career intention. There were conflicting views on whether to choose some specialties in future, such as respiratory medicine, infectious disease and critical care medicine. The participants feel more pressure as a doctor from the attitude of the public. Almost all participants mentioned feeling unsafe due to the high risk of occupational exposure and doctor-patient relationships. Most valued the support from their family, faculty, classmates, and volunteers. Many participants expressed their hope to improve the medical policies and systems. Conclusions The influence of COVID-19 outbreak on medical students' career choosing can be positive as well as negative in different degrees. However, we found no evidence that it altered their perspectives substantially. © 2022 Chinese Journal of Psychiatry. All rights reserved.

A Grounded Theory Approach to Uncovering the Process of How Sustainability Topics Influence Women Engineers’ Career Choice and Engagement

Despite the growing demand for more engineers associated with the profession’s relevance in addressing the world’s most challenging sustainability problems, more young girls are choosing other career paths with similar relevance such as healthcare, compared to engineering. This scenario has been attributed to their lack of understanding of engineering roles in addressing such issues and thus indicates the relevance of research that not only provides such understanding, but also shows how women engineers’ career choice is influenced by sustainability topics. Previous research has only identified such topics that appeal to women’s attraction to engineering. However, knowledge about how this decision is reached is currently lacking. Consequently, this paper aims to uncover the process of how sustainability topics influence women’s choice of engineering using a grounded theory approach to collect and analyse the data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 women engineers who were purposively and theoretically sampled. The results show that the link between sustainability topics and women’s choice and engagement in engineering is largely manifested through four primary interrelated factors: exposure, awareness, interest and direct involvement (EAID). The study outcome is a novel EAID process model indicating that women’s interest and direct involvement in engineering could be influenced through two main routes—either by creating exposure or by awareness of engineering roles that cause or address sustainability challenges. It offers practical implications for engineering institutions, which could inform strategies for recruiting and attracting more women to engineering, and possibly enhance gender diversity and sustainability practices in the profession.

Impact of COVID-19 on the future career plans of dentists.

BACKGROUND: It is important to complement the scientific literature with the data regarding the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the social, work and health practices as well as on the daily life of dentists, and to promote adequate public policies. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the career plans of dentists in Colombia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: As part of global research on the impact of COVID-19 on dentistry, a crosssectional survey was administered via digital media to dentists in Colombia. The validated questionnaire included inquiries regarding sociodemographic variables, the perception of the risk of contagion with COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 on the dentists' career plans. The variables were summarized in absolute and relative frequencies, and a binomial logistic regression analysis was carried out to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on career plans according to the independent variables. RESULTS: A total of 5,370 dentists answered the survey (women: 3,878; median age: 45 years; response rate: 16.85%). Most of the dentists (96%) believed that COVID-19 infection was a risk for them and 81.96% reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had some impact on their career plans, including reducing working hours (77.96%), retiring early (26.54%) and changing their career away from dentistry (18.15%). The regression model showed that older adults (OR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.26), general practitioners (OR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.44), private practice owners (OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.94, 2.79), private practice associates (OR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.84, 2.63), and those with 'very probable' risk perception (OR = 4.29; 95% CI: 1.35, 13.60) had a significantly greater chance of the pandemic having an impact on their future career plans. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic has had a great impact on dentists' career plans. Dentists who are most fearful of the risk of contagion, those who are older and those who have their private practice are thinking about reducing working hours, retiring early or changing their career.