Leave of Absence Policy

Effective 8/12/2025

• A leave of absence is available for medical or personal reasons, which could include but are not limited to the following and may be subject to additional conditions as indicated below:
  • Serious personal illness or illness of a family member requiring extended care
  • Maternity or paternity leave
  • Impactful life events requiring extended time away from academics
• A leave of absence is also available to engage in other scholarly activities, which could in- clude but are not limited to the following and are subject to additional conditions:
  • Research
  • International medical experience
  • Dual-degree or other curricular programs
• A leave of absence is also available for military service.
  • The activated student will serve for as long as necessary.
  • The six-year limit policy does not apply to activated military.
  • If the military service exceeds two years, remedial coursework will be developed on an individual basis, depending on need, when the student returns before resuming study.
• All requests and renewals for a leave of absence are approved by the SPCC.
• Students seeking a leave of absence are required to meet with the Associate Dean of Stu- dent Affairs, who will present the request to the SPCC. The student requesting the leave of absence may be required to appear before the SPCC to discuss the request at the discretion of Chair of the SPCC or the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
• Except in the case of an emergency or extenuating circumstances approved by the Chair of the SPCC, students who request a leave of absence are expected to attend classes until such leave is reviewed and a decision is made by the SPCC.
• Students who request extension of their academic program and who will not be engaged in academic or educational activities will not be eligible for financial aid and may be required to start payment on existing student loans.
• The total time taken for a leave of absence and return to medical school must comply with the Academic Progress and Promotion Policy.
• A leave of absence may create a gap in a student's professional timeline which can be of concern to residency program directors, state medical boards, credentialing and various other entities, depending on the nature of the leave.
• A student who is on a leave of absence for any reason may be required to participate in a Reentry Program in order to transition back into clinical activities. The reentry program is ad- ministered by the Office of Curricular Affairs.
• All leaves of absence are reported in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation.

leave of absence for medical reasons

A student requesting a leave of absence for medical reasons may be required to provide a signed statement to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs from a licensed healthcare professional indicating the student is unable to fully participate in academic and/or clinical activities for medical or psychological reasons. This statement will be shared with the SPCC as necessary. The statement should include the following:

• • How long the student has been a patient of the healthcare professional;
  • Relationship of diagnosis or symptoms to essential functions;
  • Anticipated length of time required for treatment, including hospitalization; o Specific recommended accommodations;
  • Prognosis for return to medical school

Students requesting a leave of absence for medical reasons may be required to complete a Fitness for Duty evaluation at the request of the SPCC upon return as per Medical Student Fitness for Duty policy.

Leave of absence for scholarly activities

Students who want to extend their academic program by participating in additional scholarly work must comply with the following requirements and must be in good academic standing to apply:

• Submit written documentation of approvals and details of the scholarly experience to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs for initial ap- proval;
• Obtain approval of the scholarly experience from the SPCC.

Review

Approved by Student Promotion and Conduct Committee, 08/07/2025