Career adaptability and career planning among medical students: Mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy

Although research findings have shown that career adaptability influences career planning, few studies have been conducted on the mechanism of the link between career adaptability and career planning. Therefore, in this study we examined the link between career adaptability and career planning via the mediator of career decision-making self-efficacy. Participants were 314 medical students in Jilin Province, China. Results of structural equation modeling showed that career adaptability was positively related to career planning, and career decision-making self-efficacy partially mediated this relationship. Our findings will help researchers and educators to better understand the mechanism of the link between career adaptability and career planning, and will assist in providing practical suggestions for improving career planning.