Leave of Absence Information

The following information relates to both voluntary and administrative (required) leaves of absence (LOA).

Students should review the Medical Student Leave, Withdrawal, and Readmission Policy for all details related to administrative and voluntary LOAs. Please also review the details below.

To request a voluntary leave of absence, complete Request a Voluntary LOA form.

To request a return from a voluntary leave of absence, complete Request to Return From LOA form

You must initiative your return at least 90 days before your desired date. Review the Return Following a Voluntary or Administrative Leave of Absence section of the policy above.

Financial Aid and Tuition

• You cannot receive financial aid (e.g., scholarships, loans) from the College while on leave as you are not an enrolled MD student during the leave period.
• The College charges tuition for a full academic year. If you begin your leave prior to the end of an academic year, your outstanding tuition balance for the year remains on your myWSU account, though you will not be expected to pay towards the balance while on leave. When returning from an LOA, past outstanding tuition will be removed, and new tuition charges will be added to your myWSU account. Additional information can be found in the Tuition Refund Policy.

USMLE Step Exams

You are not permitted to take the USMLE Step exams (Step 1 or Step 2CK) while on voluntary leave of absence unless you have previously failed the exam. You are permitted to take USMLE Step 2CK during the assessment week at the end of Year 3 before going on leave if your leave timeline is between Years 3 and 4. Review the Medical Student Leave, Withdrawal, and Readmission Policy for more details. For details related to administrative LOAs due to Step 1, please review the USMLE Step Examination Policy.

Schedule up an appointment with Kelly Demand to discuss any financial or budgeting needs.  

Curriculum (Completing assignments, research hours, etc)

• You cannot engage in any academic aspects while on a leave of absence to meet curricular requirements/assignments.
• Any research or scholarly activity hours you do while on a leave of absence cannot be applied toward meeting Med Scholar or other curriculum requirements.

Precepting

You cannot engage in precepting or shadowing while on leave unless it is part of an official program offered by a clinical organization. The College does not cover your malpractice insurance while on leave.

Scholarly (Research) Leave

• Per the Medical Student Leave, Withdrawal, and Readmission Policy, you must have been accepted to a position in a program or have confirmed an opportunity outside of a formal program.
• You must have your research mentor/advisor provide a written attestation of their oversight and your research involvement.
• You will be required to present your scholarly work completed on leave in a manner determined by the College.

Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)

All breaks in education must be reported on the MSPE, a required document in the residency application process. The details indicated on the MSPE will include the type of leave and the start and end dates of the leave.

Other Requirements While on Leave

• If you are on a leave during 3^rd year or between 3^rd and 4^th year, you will have Career Advising Program requirements, namely:
  • Complete the Specialty Surveys in October and April.
  • Career Advising 1:1 meeting with your specialty faculty to discuss Year 4 requirements for that specialty. During that meeting you will complete the Year 4 Schedule Preference Worksheet to be submitted to your Campus Year 4 Coordinator.
  • Required meeting with your ADCE and Year 4 Coordinator to discuss your Year 4 schedule.

Access to Resources

You will have access to the following College resources while on leave:

• You will retain access to your WSU email while on leave. In fact, the institution allows you to keep your WSU email address indefinitely.
• Technology resources – Described along with guidance on how to prepare your tech for a leave of absence.
• Access to the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) and other assistance provided by Student Affairs to apply for Year 4 away application.
• Access to Texas STAR.
• Early Access to ERAS for LoRs.

You will not have access to the following campus-based resources while on leave:

• Cougar Card access to MD Student Lounges
• Student Counseling and Health Services provided by WSU S&A fees