Special study modules in medical illustration in the undergraduate medical curriculum

The General Medical Council's recommendations on undergraduate medical education, published in December 1993 under the title of 'Tomorrow's Doctors', put forward the concept of the Special Study Module (SSM) as part of the medical undergraduate curriculum. This was to have a major impact on medical schools, requiring them to introduce a new element into their teaching and calling for input from departments not normally involved in the delivery of the undergraduate course. The Media Resources Centre in the University of Wales College of Medicine saw the introduction of SSMs as an opportunity to contribute to the education of medical students in ways that had not been possible previously. Several SSMs are now offered by the Centre and involvement in the SSM programme has been an interesting and rewarding experience.