Leaves of Absence and Status Changes

All leaves of absence are granted by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and/or the Student Academic Progress Committee. The Committee is appointed by the Dean of the CUNY School of Medicine. Students are expected to submit a request for a leave of absence to the Office of Student Affairs and discuss their request with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or a relevant designee, to help fully consider the ramifications of a leave of absence during their education and advocate on your behalf. The request may be approved or denied by the Associate Dean or referred to the SAPC for consultation.

Types of Leaves of Absence

Leaves of absence fall into three categories: academic leave of absence, personal leave of absence, and administrative leave of absence. Each type of leave is described below.

Academic Leave of Absence

Students request leaves of absence from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. A student who has passed all required licensing exams and is in Good Academic Standing may request an Academic Leave of Absence for academic enrichment, such as research, for a period of up to one year.

Personal Leave of Absence

Students request personal leaves of absence from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Administrative Leave of Absence

Students who have failed to complete certain academic or non-academic requirements may be placed on an Administrative Leave of Absence by the Student Academic Progress Committee for a specified period to complete these requirements. This involuntary leave of absence may be imposed under circumstances such as:

• failure to meet the academic standards, failure to pay tuition or fees,
• failure to submit proof of insurance,
• failure to submit mandatory medical clearance documents

The length of an administrative leave and the conditions for reentry to the school will be determined by the Student Academic Progress Committee.

Requesting a Leave of Absence

Process for requesting a leave of absence:

1. Complete the student portion of the Leave of Absence form and submit it via email to studentaffairs-csom@med.cuny.edu. This info must include: the length of time desired for the leave (up to one year); the reason for the request; and a description of how the leave will be beneficial to you. If applicable, you may need to outline a plan on how you intend to get up to speed to rejoin the program.
2. The student should meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or designee to discuss the reasoning behind their request and any plans they may have for the leave.
3. If a Leave of Absence is granted, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs will communicate, in writing, to the student any conditions that must be met during the leave and upon return. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs will also notify the Registrar, Financial Aid, and SAPC Chair. If the request is referred to the SAPC for action, the SAPC will evaluate the request and make a determination. If requests for leave are reviewed and approved by the SAPC, a letter from the SAPC Chair will be sent to the student.

NOTE: With exceptions for emergencies, as determined by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, students are expected to continue the curriculum while their request for a leave is being processed.

Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to take more than 8 years from the time of matriculation to complete the requirements for the MD degree, including leaves of absence. Student should also consider the ramifications of a Leave of Absence on their Financial Aid eligibility.

Resignation from the CUNY School of Medicine/ Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program

A student who is considering resigning from the School of Medicine is encouraged to first discuss the issue with the Office of Student Affairs.

A student who decides to resign from the program should submit a letter to the Chairperson of the Student Academic Progress Committee at SAPC@med.cuny.edu notifying the school of the decision. The student should also meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or designee, who, with the Wellness Center staff, is responsible for providing transition-career counseling to any student who resigns.

If you continue with your decision to resign after meeting with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, please submit the student portion of the Leave of Absence/Change of Status form to studentaffairs-csom@med.cuny.edu along with your letter of resignation to the SAPC.