Awareness and Perceptions of Career Domains among Pharmacy Students: the TECVP (Tasks, Expertise, Compensation, Valuation, and Prospects) Framework.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the expansion of pharmacists' roles beyond clinical practice, the career paths of pharmacy graduates remain concentrated in clinical fields. This study aimed to examine awareness and perceptions of career domains among pharmacy students in South Korea and to identify factors associated with their career awareness. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional online survey among pharmacy students was conducted from September to November 2025. Seven career fields, classified into clinical (G1) and non-clinical (G2) domains, were evaluated using the TECVP (Tasks, Expertise, Compensation, Valuation, and Prospects) framework, which comprises ten items across five career-attribute categories. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing career awareness. RESULTS: A total of 825 students were included in the final analysis. "Don't know" responses were more frequent in the non-clinical domain than in the clinical domain, particularly for research pharmacists and public service pharmacists. Regarding career perceptions, clinical domain was rated higher for financial compensation and job security, while non-clinical domain was rated higher for professional expertise and growth opportunity. In regression analysis, students who reported sufficient career information and those with higher family economic status were less likely to demonstrate limited career awareness in both domains. In non-clinical domain, transfer students were more likely to demonstrate limited career awareness compared to students admitted through early admissions. CONCLUSION: Career awareness among pharmacy students in South Korea showed a marked imbalance between clinical and non-clinical domains. Balanced provision of career information and systematic strengthening of career education for non-clinical fields are needed.