Understanding the Motivation of Medical Technology Students in Manila in Pursuing Careers in Healthcare Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Medical technologists played a critical role in response to the COVID-19 pandemic risking their health as they are constantly exposed to the virus. The researchers wanted to determine if Medical Technology students still want to pursue a healthcare career despite the risks and challenges brought by the current public health crisis. The main objective was to assess the factors that affect the intention and willingness of students to continue a career in the medical field. A quantitative correlational design was used to determine the relationship between the intention and willingness of Medical Technology students in pursuing a healthcare career. An online questionnaire was deployed to gather data from 328 respondents from all year levels of the Medical Technology department currently enrolled for AY 2021-2022 in a selected university in Manila. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics using Pearson’s correlation coefficient in the SPSS software. Majority of the respondents were willing to pursue a career in medical technology. The Adjusted R Squared revealed that 10% of the variability in the motivation is caused by factors of knowledge, perception, and attitude. Only perception had a significant impact. Pearson Correlation indicated a direct relationship with perception. The findings of this study showed that a high perception will result in a high motivation in pursuing a career in healthcare, and vice versa. Expanding the sample size will increase the reliability of results. Furthermore, utilization of other variables not employed in the study, as well as the use of other methods of analysis is recommended.