Background Pathway programs have been successful in diversifying the physician workforce, which leads to improved quality of care for all patients. These programs are a key component in advancing equity in medical education to students from various backgrounds. While pathway programs develop a student’s professional skills, they also foster a sense of community that supports learning and growth. Despite the value of community in pathway programs, little qualitative research has explored its impact on pre-medical students. This study examines how the sense of community cultivated within a premedical pathway program influences students’ trajectories toward a career in medicine.

Methods An in-depth focus group was conducted with 23 students who participated in a structured premedical pathway program. Using Social Cognitive Theory as a conceptual framework, we employed a deductive qualitative approach to thematic analysis and investigated how the social factors within the program affected a student’s sense of self-efficacy. Two independent researchers coded the transcript and identified core themes related to the students’ experiences of community within the program.

Results Thematic analysis revealed five major themes: “Confidence/Empowerment,” “Professional development,” “Embodied mentorship,” “Shared experience,” and “Structured support.” The average inter-rater agreement was 87.36%. The most common theme that emerged was “Support,” with 21 references, followed by “Shared experience,” with 13 references. Students described the community fostered by the program as a meaningful source of comfort, encouragement, and guidance–particularly in navigating the challenges of the medical school application process. Overall, students were motivated and more confident in their ability to successfully pursue a career in medicine.

Conclusion Pathway programs offer more than professional development; they also build communities where students with shared goals and lived experiences can develop a lasting support system. Our analysis of the pre-medical pathway program highlights how this sense of belonging fosters peer mentorship, resource-sharing, and confidence in navigating the medical school application process. As admissions become increasingly competitive, these social resources are essential to increasing the representation of a diverse student body in medicine. Our results further illustrate the value of pathway programs and their place in advancing equity in the future physician workforce.