Career coaching to support medical student career decision-making: a randomized controlled trial

This study investigated whether career coaching can reduce medical students’ career decision-making stress through clarifying students’ self-concept, increasing career decision self-efficacy, and lowering perceived time pressure to make a career decision. We evaluated the effectiveness of a coaching intervention (including five individual coaching sessions over eight months) using a randomized-waitlist controlled trial design. Participating medical master’s students completed a first survey (T1). The intervention condition (n = 94) started the coaching program right away. The waitlist-control condition (n = 130) started after 8.5 months. Participants in the intervention condition completed a second (T2) survey three weeks after their last coaching session. Participants in the waitlist-control condition received the second survey 8.5 months after registration. Data were analyzed using multilevel path modelling. The total effect of coaching on career decision-making stress was significantly negative (-0.17; 95% CI [-0.31, -0.06]), reflecting a small to moderate effect size. This total effect was partially mediated (i.e., explained) by career decision self-efficacy (-0.02; 95% CI [-0.06, -0.00]). Exploratory analyses suggested that coaching only clarified the self-concept of students with a relatively negative coaching attitude at T1. Moreover, coaching resulted in more changes in career choices and an increase in students’ career choice certainty. This study demonstrates that coaching is effective in reducing medical students’ career decision-making stress and increasing their career decision self-efficacy and career choice certainty. High-quality career decision-making is important because it is associated with higher job satisfaction, well-being, and performance. Medical schools may consider providing coaching to students to support their career decision-making.