[01] Chen Wen Hao, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Govind a/l Ari Chandran, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Mohamad Asiff Salman Bin Muhammad Anwar, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Arvind Kumar a/l Meganathan, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia.

For any medical student, deciding for sure about their future career or specialty is a daunting task. Although it is accepted that one will slowly crystallise their career decision during housemanship training, having a clear career goal in medical school certainly puts one at a head start. Making early career decisions improves work readiness and confidence, aside allowing students to build their portfolio during their undergraduate training. However, decisions about future career paths do not come naturally. Many university students report a lack of career readiness and are generally indecisive about their career. With that note, our study explored the prevalence of career indecision among undergraduate medical students in Malaysia, and its associated factors. A cross sectional study was conducted among MBBS students of Manipal University College Malaysia (MUCM). Career indecision was determined using Career Factors Inventory (CFI), distributed via an online questionnaire. A total of 121 responses were collected. Data was analysed using Epi Info version 7.2 and SPSS version 12. Unpaired t test and ANOVA test were used to test the hypothesis. Our findings showed that 99.2% of students had a high level of career indecisiveness. Students younger than 22 years had significantly higher Need for Self Knowledge (NSK) scores than students above 22 years (p value= <0.001, 95% CI= 1.04 to 3.66). Preclinical students had higher Need for Self Knowledge (NSK) scores than clinical students (p value= 0.003, 95% CI= -3.46 to -0.74) Monthly household income had significant association with career indecision (p value= 0.029), where the B40 group was better decided for their future career. In short, there was a high prevalence of career indecisiveness among undergraduate medical students. Further studies have to be done to determine its causative factors. Career development programs and counselling can be included as part of the medical curriculum, in order to help students to make an informed career decision.

Career Indecision, Specialty Indecision, Medical Student, Career Factors Inventory, Medical Education, Malaysia

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