Standard Practice Guideline:
A Leave of Absence (LOA) is a student-initiated temporary respite from studies granted at the discretion of the Student Performance Review Committee (SPRC) for a period longer than six weeks and up to one year. Approval is for a maximum of one (1) calendar year, and the SPRC reserves the right to consider additional requests for extensions.
OUWB School of Medicine permits two types of LOAs: Personal LOA and an Academic Enrichment LOA.
Examples of reasons for a Personal LOA include, but are not limited to:
- Health-related concerns
- Personal or family matters
- Financial hardship
- Military Service
Examples of reasons for an Academic Enrichment LOA include, but are not limited to:
- Pursuing a complementary degree at or outside of Oakland University (e.g., MPH, MBA). Note: Complementary programs maintained by or affiliated with OUWB do not require an LOA approval.
- Participating in a research opportunity.
Note: All students requesting an Academic Enrichment LOA must post a passing score on the USMLE Step 1 Exam and be in good academic standing prior to the start of the Academic Enrichment Leave of Absence.
Student requirements before submitting any LOA
The SPRC requires that students considering any LOA meet with the following:
- The Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss the circumstances/ramifications and complete the LOA request form.
- The Associate Director for Financial Services to review financial implications, including tuition and loan repayment considerations.
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Procedure for Consideration of an LOA:
Procedure for a Student in Good Academic Standing Requesting a Personal or Academic Enrichment LOA:
- The student first meets with the Associate or Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and the Associate Director for Financial Services to discuss procedures.
- The student completes the form, preferably in the presence of Student Affairs, to ensure the form is precise and complete. The LOA request form is available online in Empower (Student Service > LOA/Withdrawal).
- All LOA requests must be submitted to the SPRC at least two weeks before the next scheduled SPRC meeting. The exceptions are Extended Excused Absence LOAs determined and administered by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
- The requested LOA start date must be after the next scheduled SPRC meeting, when the committee votes on approval.
- The SPRC requires supporting documentation at least two weeks before the next scheduled SPRC meeting and before approving the request for a personal or academic enrichment LOA. During the required meeting with the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss the circumstances/ramifications and complete the LOA request form, the student will be informed of the specific documentation that must accompany the request to SPRC.
- The SPRC may vote to approve a student’s request for a Personal LOA or an Academic Enrichment LOA for up to one (1) calendar year from the indicated start date. Approval is for a maximum of 1 calendar year, and the SPRC reserves the right to consider additional requests for extensions.
- The SPRC has the authority to stipulate parameters of any approved LOA. For example, but not limited to, date-specific requirements that must be completed by the student while on an LOA or to be considered ready to return from the LOA.
Procedure for a Student in Good Academic Standing Returning from a Personal or Academic Enrichment LOA:
- At least 90 calendar days before the student’s anticipated return date if on a one (1)-year LOA or at least 30 calendar days before the student’s anticipated return date if on an LOA between 6 weeks and less than one calendar year, the student must notify the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in writing of their intent to resume medical studies.
- The SPRC will consider return dates on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education for students in the M1 or M2 year and with the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Clinical Education for students in the M3 or M4 year.
- The SPRC has the authority to stipulate parameters of the LOA that may include deadline-specific requirements that must be completed by the student while on an LOA to be considered ready to return from the LOA.
- The SPRC reserves the right to deny any petition to resume medical studies if the committee determines, for any reason, that a student cannot meet the academic rigors and/or technical standards of the school. If the SPRC determines a student is not fit or not prepared to return to the medical program and resume medical studies for any reason, including, without limitation, an inability and/or failure to satisfy any competencies, technical standards, or curriculum requirements, the student will be informed in a timely manner of their inefficiencies and the potential for dismissal from the medical program.
- A student on a health-related Personal LOA will be required to provide a signed physician/care provider form indicating that the student can meet the OUWB technical standards. The Readiness to Return form must be completed and submitted to the SPRC at least 20 days prior to the next scheduled SPRC meeting for a vote.
- This signed Readiness to Return form is to be completed in full, including all written comments, by an appropriate healthcare provider in the most recent working contact with the student. The form must not be completed by a family member, a healthcare provider who works with a family member of the student, a friend of the student, a friend of a family member, or the student’s previous/past health care provider longer than two months ago to date. The SPRC reserves the right to select a health care provider for evaluation of the student or to further stipulate case-by-case requirements for potential approval to return.
- Reinstatement into the OUWB medical program is not guaranteed.
Additional Clarification on all Personal or Academic Enrichment LOAs:
Impact of a Personal or Academic Enrichment LOA on Graduation and Academic Standing:
- Approval of an LOA may delay a student's graduation. The student will be informed of the delay during the required meeting with the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs prior to submitting to the SPRC for a vote. The student will receive all information on medical study progression and time requirements before applying to the SPRC for consideration.
- Except for LOAs based on a call to active military duty or specifically exempted by the SPRC on a case-by-case basis, time spent on LOA will count towards the students' requirement to complete M1/M2 in three consecutive years, M3/M4 in three consecutive years, and the M.D. degree within six consecutive years.
- Student transcripts will record a Fail or Incomplete grade, respectively, for any failed courses or incomplete courses from which the student did not officially withdraw on the start date of the LOA. These transcript indications may negatively affect the students’ academic standing from their previous status prior to the LOA.
Access and Registration During a Personal or Academic Enrichment LOA:
- Students granted a Personal LOA are no longer registered as current medical students and may therefore not use dedicated OU or Corewell Health physical spaces, including medical libraries, housing, the recreation center, health services, the medical student lounge(s), or financial aid. Students will not lose access to previously available Oakland University online resources. However, Corewell Health online resources, such as online medical record systems, may not be available.
- Students granted an Academic Enrichment LOA to pursue a complementary degree or research program outside of Oakland University are therefore not registered and therefore may not use dedicated OU or Corewell Health physical spaces, including medical libraries, the Clinical Skills Center, housing, the recreation center, health services, the medical student lounge(s), financial aid, or research-related resources such as funding, travel requests, statistical resources, etc., related to their required research project. Students will not lose access to previously available Oakland University online resources. Corewell online resources, such as online medical record systems, may also not be available.
- Students granted an Academic Enrichment LOA to pursue a complementary degree or research program hosted by Oakland University, but not governed by the School of Medicine, must take an Academic LOA. The student is therefore not registered with the School of Medicine but can use dedicated OU physical spaces, including medical libraries, the Clinical Skills Center, housing, the recreation center, health services, the medical student lounge(s), or financial aid at the behest of the OU hosting program (e.g., Health Sciences for MPH, etc.). Additionally, all resources offered in support of the required research project will continue to be available in the pursuit of the approved project.
Procedure for Students Not in Good Academic Standing Requesting a Personal LOA:
- All procedural steps and timelines must be followed as previously described in this policy’s procedures, including Additional Clarifications stated in this policy.
- In addition to the LOA procedures previously stated, it is obligatory that a student not in good academic standing requesting an LOA demonstrate to the SPRC, in writing, that it is in the student's best interest as well as their academic progress in the medical program to apply for a Personal LOA. The statement must include a written list of activities proposed during the Personal LOA with explanations as to how these activities will help the student return to medical studies at an acceptable higher academic performance level.
Procedure for Students Not in Good Academic Standing Returning from a Personal LOA:
- At least 90 calendar days before the student’s anticipated return date if on a one (1)-year LOA or at least 30 calendar days before the student’s anticipated return date if on an LOA between 6 weeks and less than one calendar year, the student must petition the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in writing of their desire to resume medical studies.
- In addition to the LOA procedure to return previously stated, it is obligatory that a student not in good academic standing provide the SPRC with an additional statement on how the list of activities originally proposed and originally submitted was achieved.
- The SPRC reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation from OUWB School of Medicine academic success specialists two weeks prior to the scheduled SPRC meeting and prior to the date the student wishes to resume OUWB medical studies.
- No more than 15 business days after the SPRC’s indicated resume date, the student must meet with the Academic Success Team and complete an academic success plan with a timeline and milestones. The academic success plan must then be submitted to the SPRC within 30 business days after the SPRC’s indicated resume date.
- The committee reserves the right to request additional documentation later. This is determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Failure to develop the plan or achieve any agreed-upon milestones is grounds for dismissal by the SPRC once the student is informed of this potential outcome.
Definitions:
To be in Good Academic Standing at OUWB, a student must meet the following criteria:
Passing grades in all coursework: Students must receive a grade of Pass, Pass with Remediation, High Pass, or Honors in all courses, clerkships, electives, standardized patient exams, and other mandatory exercises.
No unremediated course failures: Having an unremediated Fail (a Fail in a course that has not been fully remediated as a course) on a student record in any academic year will result in removal from good academic standing.
Not on academic probation or suspension: Placement on probation or suspension by the Student Performance Review Committee (SPRC) removes a student from good academic standing.
Adherence to professional and academic ethics: Students are expected to behave in accordance with high standards of professional and academic ethics.
Note: A single course or clerkship grade of "Incomplete" is not sufficient to remove a student from good academic standing.
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