Calling: Never seen before or heard of – A survey among Swiss physicians

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Laura, Simões Morgado^a | Friedrich, Stiefel^b | Mehdi, Gholam^c | Céline, Bourquin^{b; *}

Affiliations: [a] School of Medicine, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland | [b] Psychiatric Liaison Service, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland | [c] Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Dr. Céline Bourquin, Psychiatric Liaison Service, Av. de Beaumont 23, Les Allières, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of what motivates physicians to do their work and what keeps them in the profession. OBJECTIVES:To explore calling as an approach to work in a sample of physicians. METHODS:We designed an online survey addressing career choice and career calling among physicians in French-speaking Switzerland, and measured associations between calling and categorical variables (participant characteristics, motivations for choosing medicine, career choice(s) and consistency, and definition of calling). RESULTS:The majority of physicians (n = 229) reported that a calling was not a career motivator. The main reasons for becoming a physician were to be useful (n = 173), the scientific aspects of medicine (n = 168), and altruism (n = 153). Viewing medicine as a calling was significantly associated with having been attracted specifically and only to the medical career and stability of this career choice. Physicians defined a calling as internal summons (n = 140), passion (n = 126), and sense of purpose in life (n = 101). Being in the right place, internal summons, and passion were significantly more often considered as a definition for calling by physicians with a calling. CONCLUSIONS:A sense of calling influences career choice and professional stability, and might play a protective role in exhaustion or dissatisfaction at work.

Keywords: Career choice, professional stability, job satisfaction

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205282

Journal: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 657-665, 2022