The GMC (General Medical Council) realised that 5 years was too short a time to teach the whole of medicine and so identified a “core curriculum” that all medical schools should follow. SSCs are a way in which students are able to learn topics that are not in the core. They form up to 25-30% of the course at some universities and are a range of diverse projects chosen by the student where they can study a specific subject in depth. The emphasis is on self-directed learning and developing new skills. Projects can range from sports medicine to foreign languages to aromatherapy.