Calling orientations of junior doctors and medical interns in India: cultural, occupational and relational perspectives

This study examines the factors that shape calling orientations within the Indian context. Based on the narratives of 72 junior doctors and medical interns, it is found that participants identify with harbouring a calling both prior and subsequent to occupational entry. Although factors such as self-recognition of talent and sensemaking of work as destiny play a role, familial communication is found to be particularly influential in the formation of a calling outlook. A relational view of callings associated with generativity and family legacy is thus highlighted. The study additionally compares the career stories of individuals who do (n = 29) and those who do not (n = 43) frame their occupation as a calling. Participants with a calling orientation are found to have a strong affective attachment to the profession, further influenced by familial communication and value internalization. The findings also demonstrate that the calling experience is malleable and can evolve through work/life experiences.