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Keck School of Medicine MD Student Leave of Absence Policy

Policy Statement:

A leave of absence is defined as a period of non-enrollment during which a student is either in a state of remediation of degree requirement(s) or not working on requirements toward completion of the MD degree. A leave of absence from the Keck School of Medicine is approved by either the Student Performance Committee (SPC) or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or their designee), depending upon the classification of the leave. Permission for a leave of absence is not guaranteed unless the leave is required by law. The maximum cumulative leave permitted is two years (except for MD/PhD students when fulfilling the requirements of their PhD). Exceptions to the maximum time allowed for a leave is rare and must be approved by the SPC. Failure to return from an approved leave of absence is grounds for administrative withdrawal from the Keck School of Medicine. Students on a leave of absence from the MD curriculum are not permitted to hold any student leadership/officer positions either in the medical school or that represent the medical school. This includes, but is not limited to, ASSM, class councils, Graduate Student Government, AAMC Organization of Student Representatives, and student interest groups.

Types of Leaves of Absence

There are two types of leaves of absence: voluntary and involuntary.

Voluntary Leave

A student may request a leave of absence for any of the following reasons:

  1. HEALTH LEAVE:When there is a medical reason for the student to leave the curriculum. Health leaves may also be determined by university policy. https://policy.usc.edu/student-health-leave-absence/ See below for additional information about the USC Health Leave policy and process.  Students on a health leave must obtain permission from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or their designee) if they seek to participate in academic and/or co-curricular activities, including but not limited to, studying for USMLE or other exams, shadowing, and research.
  2. DUAL DEGREE LEAVE:To pursue a joint degree at USC or Caltech* (MD/MBA, MD/MPH, *MD/PhD). It is against policy for students to be enrolled in a non-joint degree program without prior approval from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or their designee). Failure to provide appropriate notification will result in the student being considered for dismissal from the Keck School of Medicine.
  3. RESEARCH LEAVE:To pursue a Dean’s Research year or external research opportunity.
  4. OTHER/PERSONAL LEAVE:For time away, that is not described by the other types of leaves listed above including auxiliary degrees. Students may not be employed without obtaining prior approval from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or their designee).

To be eligible for a leave of absence for dual degree programs or Dean’s Research Scholars program, students must meet the following requirements prior to the leave:

  • Good academic and professional standing per the KSOM Good Standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress and Professional Behavior policies,
  • All core clerkships completed, and
  • Have taken the Step 2 CK exam.

Final approval is determined by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (or their designee).

Process for Requesting a Voluntary Leave of Absence

Students who are considering a leave of absence must:

  1. Submit a Request for Leave of Absence form for consideration by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
  2. Meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for consideration of the request for a leave of absence. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or their designee) will determine if the Leave of Absence is approved or if the request must be reviewed by the Student Performance Committee.

Involuntary Leave

A student may be placed on an involuntary leave of absence when required by Keck School of Medicine and/or University policies. Involuntary leaves of absence may include:

  1. ACADEMIC REMEDIATION LEAVE:When a student requires time away from the curriculum to remediate curricular content and/or a USMLE exam. Academic Remediation leaves are dictated by the following policies: Good Standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress; Essential Technical Standards; Probation; Promotion, USMLE Exam Policy.
  2. ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE: A school-mandated leave to address academic, professionalism, or technical standard deficiencies. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or their designee) or the Student Performance Committee may place a student on an administrative leave. Administrative Leaves are dictated by the following policies: Code of Professional Behavior; Essential Technical Standards; USC Principles of Community; Code of Ethics of the University of Southern California, USC Student Conduct Code and Policies.
  3. MANDATED HEALTH LEAVE: A Mandated Health Leave of Absence (MHLA)is designed to assist students under the following conditions.
  • The student presents a substantial risk of harm to self or others or has engaged in threatening or violent activities;
  • The student significantly disrupts activities of the university or university community, and that disruption is deemed to be related to a health condition; or
  • The student is unable or unwilling to carry out substantial self-care obligations or to participate meaningfully in educational activities.

Process for Involuntary Leaves

  1. Students placed on an involuntary leave for a mandated health leave, academic remediation leave, or administrative leave will be notified in writing by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or designee), the Student Performance Committee, and/or the University (including the USC Health Leave Coordinator). See process for USC Health Leave of Absence for additional information.

Process for USC Health Leave of Absence (Voluntary or Mandated)

  1. Students (or their authorized representative) requesting a health leave through the USC Voluntary Health Leave of Absence must first notify the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (verbally or in writing). The Associate Dean (or their designee) will notify the KSOM Registrar as well as the Student Health Leave Coordinator in the Office of Campus Support and Intervention at UPC.
  2. Mandated Health Leaves will be determined by the Office of Campus Support and Intervention and the KSOM Technical Standards Committee (TSC).
  3. The Student Health Leave Coordinator (SHLC) will manage needs (as they relate to being a student) while the student is on leave. When the student requests evaluation for return, the SHLC, in consultation with the Associate Dean (or their designee), will assess the need for a referral to the KSOM TSC. If it is determined that no referral to the TSC is necessary, the Associate Dean (or their designee) will notify all relevant parties of the student’s planned return.
  4. If it is determined that a referral to the TSC is warranted, all relevant and appropriate information will be made available to that committee.
  • The TSC may determine that the student appears to meet Technical Standards, that no further information is needed and approve the return.
  • The TSC may determine that there is sufficient evidence that the student does not meet Technical Standards and deny the request to return. If a request to return is denied, a re-evaluation for return may be initiated by the student at intervals deemed appropriate by the TSC.
  • The TSC may determine that there is insufficient information to make a decision and request a Fitness for Duty assessment. The TSC, upon review of this evaluation and any other pertinent information, will determine if the request to return will be granted.

Requests for Extensions

  1. Requests to extend a leave must be submitted in writing to the Office of Student Affairs.
  2. Requests for extensions are reviewed annually by the Student Performance Committee.
  3. Requests for extensions beyond two years of voluntary leave must be approved by the Student Performance Committee.

Requirements for Returning from a Leave of Absence

  1. Students returning from a voluntary leave of absence must submit a Request to Return from a Leave of Absence form to the Office of Student Affairs by the deadline indicated. If the request is not received by the deadline stipulated in the original letter granting the leave, an administrative withdrawal may be processed. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or their designee) will determine if the return is approved and will notify the KSOM Registrar.
  2. Students returning from an involuntary leave must have approval by the appropriate office and must have satisfied all conditions required of them during the leave of absence.
  3. Return after leave requires that the student has met all requirements for progression to the level to which they are returning. All returning students are held accountable to the current policies current Keck School of Medicine.
  4. Students are responsible for meeting all deadlines which may occur during the period of leave, e.g., scheduling deadlines, USMLE exam dates, or NRMP deadline dates.
  5. Students must certify that they are capable of meeting the standards set by the Essential Technical Standards in order to return.
  6. Students returning from a leave of absence greater than or equal to three years may be required to complete additional activities prior to beginning required clerkships.

Reviewed and Approved: June 21, 2023
Medical Education Executive Council

University of Southern California
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