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ContextPolicy documents about service innovation, education priorities and professional development exhort professions to learn together and work collaboratively. However, the literature suggests that the existence of shared learning in medical and nursing pre-qualifying education is patchy. AimThis paper does not claim to be research. It sets out to reflect on the trends and tensions in key policy directions, relating these to aspirations and a mapping of current intiatives in the sphere of medical and nursing pre-qualifying education. ApproachA limited national information gathering exercise was conducted during the planning phase of seminars hosted by the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) in 1996 and 1997. This involved directly contacting all medical schools and departments of nursing and midwifery in geographical proximity, or with an institutional relationship. Information was sought on current or planned activity in shared learning, defined as medical and nursing students and/or working together. Emerging themesThere were a few examples of shared learning identified by the mapping exercise. The paper discusses these and draws on the consensus that emerged from the seminars on objectives and topics for shared learning. It concludes with a discussion of what makes for success or failure in such ventures with suggestions for future educational policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context A special study module (SSM) option was introduced for medical students at Leicester Warwick Medical School in January 2000. Its aim was to enhance students' knowledge and understanding of people's experiences and emotions in relation to health and sickness through study of the arts. The module was set up and run through collaboration between the medical school and the University of Leicester's Department of English. This paper describes the context of SSMs in the arts and their relevance to medicine, and examines student perceptions of the benefits gained from this particular course. Method Students were exposed to a core series of arts-based seminars, and were given time to research a chosen study topic looking at an artist or art form in relation to health and sickness issue(s). They were assessed on their written submissions on these study topics according to the module objectives. Students were encouraged to develop a reflective style of learning by keeping learning journals. Conclusions Evaluation demonstrated that the students considered that their professional development had been enhanced by taking time to study the arts. Students also felt that they would continue to use the arts to this end after the module had finished. Summative assessment showed that the objectives were achievable by the great majority of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]