Background: Factors associated with professional identity are of interest to university health professional programs because of its association with successful student transition, retention, and progression into the workforce. Aim: To explore the factors associated with students’ decisions in choosing their current program of study, and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their learning experience and sense of belonging to health professionals in their program. Methods: Convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used, collecting quantitative, and qualitative data through an online questionnaire. First year students enrolled in health-related baccalaureate programs across two institutions in two different countries were invited to participate in the study. Participants were asked to complete the standardised Professional Identity Scale (PIS) and questions regarding factors that influenced their enrolment in a health course and first year experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resu
Professional-identity-scale
Professional-identity-formation
Covid19
First-year-students
Health-profession-education
Professional-identity
Resilience