Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Career Aspirations Among Children of Physicians and Other Healthcare Workers: A Scoping Review

TL;DR

This study explores how the pandemic and parents' work stress affected children of healthcare workers' interest in medical careers.

Contribution

It is the first to link parental pandemic experiences to children's career aspirations in medicine.

Findings

Most children (72%) of healthcare workers did not change their career aspirations during the pandemic.

A small proportion shifted toward or away from medical careers (15% and 13%, respectively).

The literature has a significant gap regarding this specific impact of the pandemic.

Abstract

Existing reviews examine medical students’ specialty choices and physician‑parent burnout separately; none link parental pandemic experiences to children’s career aspirations. To map and synthesise all empirical evidence on how the COVID‑19 pandemic, particularly parental occupational stress/burnout, has influenced the intentions of children (five to 25 years) of physicians and other healthcare workers (HCWs) to pursue medical careers. We followed the JBI scoping review methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Databases searched included MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Screening and data extraction processes involved two reviewers, and quality appraisal was performed using the AXIS checklist. Only one study was eligible, involving 53 adolescents from India. Results indicated nearly equal proportions of participants shifted towards and away from medical careers (15% and 13%, respectively), with the majority (72%) showing no change. There is a substantial gap in the literature regarding this specific impact of the pandemic. Further research, including multi-country and longitudinal studies, is needed.

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