Career adaptability of pharmacy students in Taiwan: A qualitative study

As pharmacy roles become increasingly complex and uncertain, career adaptability is critical for all pharmacy students facing academic challenges and an uncertain professional future. Savickas' four-dimension framework—concern, control, curiosity, and confidence—defined career adaptability as psychosocial resources (adaptability resources) for managing career tasks, transitions, and challenges. This framework offers a lens for examining adaptability. Although previous studies have indicated the role of adaptability in career decision-making and engagement, evidence within pharmacy education remains limited. This qualitative study explored career adaptability among 12 third-year pharmacy students in Taiwan. The participants were purposively sampled on the basis of high or low adaptability and completed semi-structured interviews addressing motivations, learning strategies, financial conditions, and career planning. The authors performed thematic analysis to identify subthemes within the four adaptability dimensions. The students with high adaptability demonstrated proactive concern through early planning for research or exchange opportunities, whereas the students with low adaptability tended to delay planning. Stronger self-regulation and postgraduate planning characterized the career control of the high-adaptability group, whereas the low-adaptability group focused narrowly on examinations. Curiosity further differentiated the groups: the high-adaptability group explored interdisciplinary fields, whereas the low-adaptability group reported limited exploration due to external constraints. Confidence in the high-adaptability group was bolstered by recognition of strengths and supportive networks, whereas the low-adaptability group expressed doubts and dependence on external validation. The findings highlight curiosity as equally vital as concern and confidence in shaping adaptability. Educational strategies that promote reflective learning, mentorship, and exposure to diverse career paths may enhance adaptability, particularly in students with low adaptability. Strengthening these adaptability resources is essential for graduate preparedness to navigate evolving health-care and pharmaceutical environments.