Student Experiences Learning in Specialty Cohorts During a Transition to Residency Course: Context, Safety and Connection Matter

Introduction Transition to residency (TTR) courses, aimed at preparing graduating medical students for residency, are increasing in prevalence. Although specialty‐specific just‐in‐time training is nationally recommended, many courses still deliver generalised, non‐specialty‐specific content. The learning benefits of a specialty‐specific teaching approach remain unclear. Methods Guided by the communities of practice framework, we developed a 4‐week TTR course with specialty‐specific context for seven medical specialties: anaesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and surgery. The course used identical topics contextualised to each specialty. Students self‐selected cohorts aligned with their planned residency and learned from specialty‐specific instructors. To explore students' educational experiences, we conducted five semi‐structured focus groups with 33 of 183 graduating students selected via block randomisation. Interviews explored two domains: (1) overall learning experience and (2) influences of specialty‐specific instruction, context and cohort structure. Transcripts were analysed using an inductive, thematic approach. Results Three themes were identified: Learning experience: enriched by specialty‐specific content, contextual relevance and faculty expertise. Learning environment: shaped by psychological safety fostered through stable cohorts and a non‐competitive post‐match setting Connection: promoted by specialty alignment, shared experiences and relational learning within cohorts. Conclusions Specialty‐specific content, context and instructors enhanced learner engagement through authentic, meaningful experiences. The post‐match timing and cohort structure fostered psychological safety. Specialty‐aligned social environments supported interpersonal connection and emerging professional identity. Our findings suggest that increasing specialty‐specific content and structuring learning in specialty‐specific cohorts may enhance engagement, emotional safety and professional identity development.