Purpose <p>This study aims to investigate the current state of career calling among medical personnel and its connection to traditional culture and work performance.</p> Methods <p>By analyzing data from 414 medical staff members in Hangzhou through a questionnaire survey and structural equation modeling, the research explores the direct and indirect impacts of traditional culture and career calling on job performance.</p> Results <p>The results show significant variations in traditional culture, career calling, and job performance across different demographics and hospital levels. The correlation between traditional culture, career calling, and job performance is statistically significant, indicating a strong relationship.</p> Conclusions <p>The findings suggest that the traditional culture of medical personnel not only directly influences work performance but also has an indirect effect through career calling.</p>