The role of a longitudinal coach in medical students’ specialty choice and application to residency process: a qualitative research study of students’, coaches’, and deans’ perspectives

Purpose With adequate preparation, academic coaches can provide meaningful support to medical students in choosing a specialty and navigating the residency application process. However, the specific contributions of medical student coaches to specialty choice, residency applications, and the transition to residency remain insufficiently understood. This study sought to understand the role of a longitudinal coach on these three processes from the perspectives of students, coaches, and deans of students. Method An interpretative descriptive qualitative study was conducted involving focus groups with graduating medical students, coaches, and deans of student affairs, Tufts University School of Medicine, April through July 2025. Discussions explored the role coaches play in specialty selection, the residency application process, and the post-Match transition to residency. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to develop core themes. Results Participants described four key interventions that characterize the role of a coach: facilitating values-based reflection, offering emotional support, respecting student agency, and encouraging students to engage a broader village when seeking advice. Students, coaches, and deans consistently emphasized the unique role of longitudinal coaches in validating students’ experiences and helping them remain connected with their values during specialty decision-making, the application process, and the transition to residency. Conclusions The findings of this study highlight that longitudinal coaches provide an added role in student specialty choice, residency application process, and the transition to residency within the existing advising ecosystem. Participants’ perspectives informed the development of coaching interventions across these three phases. These insights can guide coaching practices across medical schools.