A study of the relationship between social support, self-efficacy, professional identity, and willingness to practice medicine among medical students in the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support, self-efficacy, professional identity, and willingness to practice medicine among medical students during the COVID-19 epidemic. An online questionnaire was distributed to 1,450 medical college students in Shandong Province, China. The questionnaire encompassed four dimensions: willingness to practice medicine, self-efficacy, professional identity, and social support. The study revealed that social support among medical students positively correlated with self-efficacy and professional identity. Furthermore, it showed that professional identity served as a significant mediating factor between social support and the willingness to practice medicine, while both self-efficacy and professional identity collectively acted as mediators between social support and the willingness to practice medicine. The most substantial mediating effect was from the independent mediating role of professional identity between social support and willingness to practice medicine. Additionally, the study uncovered that social support had a negative predictive effect on the willingness to practice medicine, and self-efficacy did not independently mediate the relationship between social support and the willingness to practice medicine. This study examines the COVID-19 context in China to provide a theoretical foundation and practical insights for enhancing medical students’ willingness to practice medicine and bolstering the pool of healthcare professionals.