Background There is increasing recognition of the importance of leadership development within undergraduate medical training. One method of doing this is through student-selected components (SSCs), optional modules that allow students to explore an area in greater depth than in the core curriculum. An SSC in medical leadership has been offered at the University of Glasgow since 2015. We evaluated students’ perceptions of this SSC.

Methods Students are required to submit a written reflective report on the SSC. These were analysed thematically to determine students’ lived experience. Respondent validation and independent anonymised feedback to the university were used for triangulation.

Results Students reported that the SSC allowed them to experience aspects of healthcare not encountered elsewhere in their training. Three themes were derived from the analysis, relating to SSC structure, areas of learning and personal development/impact. Students recognised that leadership development is important within the curriculum and felt that it should be available to all medical students.

Conclusion This evaluation of students’ perceptions of a leadership SSC identified characteristics of the module that were felt by students to be valuable in leadership development and will support development of similar leadership modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.