Students may, under exceptional circumstances, be granted a Leave of Absence (LOA) from medical school. Any such LOA granted shall be solely within the discretion of the College of Medicine based upon the merits of the request, evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The student who is considering a request for LOA should discuss this request with one of the Deans in the Office of Student Affairs.

The following guidelines apply to all requests for LOA:

• A College of Medicine LOA granted by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs must comply with UNMC LOA policy.
• Expectations and requirements for return should be stipulated at the time that the student takes a LOA.
• A student who is the subject of an involuntary dismissal from medical school, for any reason, including but not limited to, academic performance or disciplinary action, may not be eligible to invoke the procedures contained in this policy.
• The student is responsible for initiating determination of the financial consequences of taking a LOA. For example, financial obligations regarding tuition payment and loan repayment as well as scholarships and grants need to be reviewed with Student Financial Services and the Office of Financial Aid.
• Students who have been granted LOA are responsible for notifying the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs of their intention to return to classes on the appointed date no later than 6 weeks before the start of classes. If not so notified, the student's place in the class will be forfeited. Re-entry into the College of Medicine would require re-application through the usual admissions process of the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).
• Students who withdraw from the College of Medicine without an official LOA will be required to approach the college through the regular admissions/applications process, i.e., through AMCAS.
• Upon re-enrollment following a Leave of Absence, the student will be subject to all rules and regulations which pertain to the class he or she is joining. Those rules and regulations may differ from those applying to the class into which the student initially matriculated.

Approved by the Curriculum Committee: April 28, 2020