SA-4112 Leave of Absence

1.0        Purpose

To establish a standardized process for requesting, approving, managing, and returning from a leave of absence at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, ensuring academic continuity, regulatory compliance, and appropriate support for students during periods of personal, academic, disciplinary, or research-related leave.

2.0        Policy

For a variety of reasons, students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) may need a break or leave of absence from the medical school curriculum. Beyond requesting an excused absence for a variety of reasons, students may request time away from medical school, up to one year at a time. Requests for renewal should come through the Office of Student Affairs and will be referred to the Medical Student Performance and Promotion Committee (MSPPC) for review and/or approval.

There are four types of leaves of absence:

• Personal/Medical/Family
• Academic
• Educational/Research
• Disciplinary

The process for each option differs depending on the student’s situation. The summary below may be used as a reference when deciding what type of time away best suits a student’s needs. In all cases, the student requesting a leave of absence must meet with or submit a letter outlining the reasons for the request to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

While approval for leaves of absence occurs through the mechanisms described below, return from leaves of absence must be approved by the MSPPC. Students are required to communicate their intent to return two months in advance, in writing, to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and must meet any stipulations set in their LOA letter.

All leaves of absence of greater than 2 weeks will be mentioned in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE). 

3.0        Procedures

Leave of Absence, Academic

A student may be placed on an academic leave of absence due to the inability to successfully progress through the curriculum. Only the MSPPC can place a student on academic leave of absence. During an academic leave of absence, the student is required to update the MSPPC chair every 90 days. This update can be in-person or through the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Only the MSPPC can approve the return to coursework from an academic leave of absence. 

Leave of Absence, Disciplinary

A student may be placed on disciplinary leave of absence as a result of an MSPPC hearing relative to professionalism or an honor board sanction. Only the MSPPC can place a student on a disciplinary leave of absence or approve the return of a student to coursework from a disciplinary leave of absence. The MSPPC may consider requests to return from a disciplinary leave of absence when the student has completed the terms requested by the MSPPC, which may in some circumstances, include a mandatory psychiatric, psychological, and/or substance abuse evaluation.  

Leave of Absence, Educational/Research

The Associate Dean for Student Affairs may grant educational and/or research leaves of absence upon recommendations from the Senior Dean for Research or the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education. See the Leave of Absence for Educational Enrichment or Research policy for the process by which a student may apply for and be granted a year out for educational enrichment or research. 

During an educational/research leave of absence, the student is required to update the MSPPC chair every 90 days. This update can be in-person or through the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The MSPPC will be made aware of such students, and only the MSPPC can approve the return to coursework from such educational and/or research leaves of absence. 

Leave of Absence, Personal/Medical/Family

Short-term (2 weeks or less): A student in good academic standing may request a leave of absence for health or other personal reasons. The student requesting a leave of absence must submit a letter outlining the reasons for the request to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. This leave may be repeated once in Phase 2/3 with time borrowed from vacation time. If a student would like to extend a short-term leave for longer than 2 weeks during Phase 1, the student should meet with the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education.

Long-term: Personal/medical/family leaves of absence of greater than 2 weeks may be approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and will be reported to the MSPPC. During a personal/medical leave of absence, the student is required to update the MSPPC chair every 90 days. This update can be in-person or through the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Only the MSPPC may return students from personal/medical leaves of absence. The MSPPC or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, in consultation with the Chair of the MSPPC, may require a student to submit a physician’s evaluation or undergo a psychiatric, psychological, and/or substance abuse evaluation before considering a request to return to coursework from a medical/personal leave of absence. 

Student status while on LOA of 3 months or greater:

• Students will not have active student status.
• Students on LOA will not have access to services through the Cook Counseling Center and VT Student Health.
• Students on LOA cannot serve on standing committees or serve on student government.
• Students will not be covered by liability insurance.
• Students will remain on their graduating class listserv or be placed on the listserv for their new graduating class, depending on the circumstance.
• Students have the option for continuing health insurance coverage through continuation of coverage provisions.
• Students may shadow but may not participate in patient care beyond shadowing.
• Students, at the discretion of their research mentor, may continue with their research project while on LOA.

Leave of Absence Restrictions

Only one leave of absence will be granted to a student in any 12–month period except as provided in the Federal Title IV Refund Regulations or at the discretion of the MSPPC in consultation with the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. A leave of absence extending beyond 180 days must be revisited by the MSPPC to verify the student’s status. For Federal Title IV aid purposes, a leave of absence cannot exceed 180 days within a 12-month period. A leave of absence shall not exceed 12 months. If, after the maximum permissible period of a leave of absence, the student does not return, it will result in an administrative withdrawal of the student from VTCSOM. After that time, the student will be considered a readmission applicant unless the MSPPC has granted an extension of the leave of absence. 

The student must request the leave of absence in writing by completing the Student Withdrawal/Resignation form through the Office of Enrollment Management and Registrar after consultation with the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. A copy of this form must be sent to the Registrar, the Bursar, the Financial Aid department, the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. If, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, a student is prevented from completing the Student Withdrawal/Resignation form, the student’s request for a leave of absence may be granted by the MSPPC, provided that the committee Chair documents the reason for the committee’s decision and then later collects the signed form from the student. 

After consulting with the student, the MSPPC may place specific conditions for the student’s return. The student on leave of absence must satisfy any conditions of the leave before re-entry and must comply with the course sequence and/or any curricular changes at the time of re-entry. A student’s return is subject to available space at the time. 

At the end of the requested leave of absence, the student must return or is considered to have withdrawn. Students will be referred to the Bursar’s office to determine the appropriate refund schedule. 

Students receiving Title IV aid (i.e., Federal Student Loans) must meet with a financial aid coordinator prior to a leave of absence’s approval to discuss the effects on Federal Student Aid if the student does not return from the leave of absence. 

4.0        References

• Office of Student Affairs
• Associate Dean for Student Affairs
• Office of Educational Affairs
• Senior Dean for Research
• Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
• Office of Enrollment Management and Registrar
• Leave of Absence for Educational Enrichment or Research Policy

5.0        Approval and Revisions

Approved by Student Affairs and Enrollment Management