Student Selected Components (SSCs): AMEE Guide No 46

Student Selected Components (SSCs) are one of the more innovative recent developments in medical education. Initially established in the UK in the 1990s in response to the General Medical Council's recommendations in Tomorrow's Doctors (1993), they provide students with a significant element of choice and depth of study in the curriculum. SSCs have become an integral part of medical curricula throughout the UK, and to a limited extent the rest of the world. In most cases they contribute to the delivery of learning outcomes broadly encompassing personal, professional and research skills, whilst creating opportunities for students to explore future career options. This AMEE Guide is written for developers of new medical curricula, where SSC-like initiatives offering choice and depth of study, in conjunction with core learning, are being considered. Its aim is to provide insight into the structure of an SSC programme and its various important component parts. It is also relevant for those already involved in SSC development by offering insight into effectively managing, assessing and improving existing programmes, to deliver effective, coherent and core-integrated teaching valued by students and faculty alike.