2.09 Leaves of Absence

A leave of absence (LOA) is a period of non-enrollment during which a student is not considered to be working toward the MD degree. A voluntary LOA may be granted for up to one year with the possibility of a one-year extension, granted on a case-by-case basis after review by the Council of Academic Societies (CAS), if a student submits the request before the first year of leave is over. A maximum of two years for leave is permitted, after which a student is automatically considered withdrawn from the School.

Students contemplating a leave of absence should meet with their Society Advisory Dean or Advisor, the HMS Registrar and, if applicable, their financial aid officer for guidance.

Any student who does not attend class in the preclerkship phase for a period of 30 days or more and has not applied for a LOA will be absent without leave and will be considered to have withdrawn from Harvard Medical School. See Sections 1.03 and 2.02 for guidance about leaves during the PCE and Post-PCE Phases of the MD curriculum.

Voluntary Leaves of Absence

Students who wish to interrupt their studies at any time before graduation may request a leave of absence. Requests for a leave of absence may be granted by the Dean for Students in consultation with the Council of Academic Societies. With respect to a voluntary leave of absence for medical reasons, the Dean for Students ordinarily will consult with Harvard University Health Services (HUHS), which may consider information from the student’s current and/or former health care providers if made available by the student.

Application for a Voluntary Leave of Absence

Students applying for a voluntary leave of absence must follow the steps outlined below:

Notify your Academic Society and the Registrar in writing of the request to take a leave. Include the last date you attended class, which must be no more than 30 days before your decision to take a leave. Indicate the anticipated start and end dates of the leave.
If the request is approved, the Registrar’s Office will confirm your leave in writing and will provide additional information regarding your official status, a reminder for a student on financial aid to meet with their Financial Aid Officer and other relevant matters. The Registrar will notify all courses in which you are registered and adjust tuition per the refund policy (See Section 6.03).
If you are on financial aid, you are required to meet with your Financial Aid Officer and complete a loan exit interview.
Your Society will follow up with you and describe any requirements you must complete before you return. You should update your Society periodically throughout your leave.
Approximately 2 months before you plan to return, you should contact your Society and the Registrar for additional information regarding your proposed return to the MD program. You must meet all conditions set by your Society, the CAS, the Promotion and Review Board (PRB) and/or the Registrar in order to resume studies.

Involuntary Leaves of Absence

Under certain circumstances, a student may be placed on an involuntary leave of absence. An involuntary leave of absence is not a disciplinary sanction. However, an incident that gives rise to a leave of absence, whether voluntary or involuntary, may subsequently be the basis for disciplinary action. A student who prefers to take a voluntary leave of absence for medical reasons rather than to be placed on an involuntary leave of absence for medical reasons is ordinarily allowed to do so. Transcripts do not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary leaves of absence.

An involuntary leave of absence may be required for the following reasons:

1. Medical circumstances:

a. (i) The student’s behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of any person, or has seriously disrupted others in the student’s residential community or academic environment; and (ii) either the student’s threatening, self-destructive, or disruptive behavior is determined to be the result of a medical condition or the student has refused to cooperate with efforts by Harvard University Health Services to determine the cause of the behavior.

b. The student is not cleared to return to enrollment and/or residence at the medical school following either: (i) a hospitalization or emergency room visit that raises serious concerns about the student’s health or well-being; or (ii) other circumstances that raise serious concerns about the student’s health or well-being and reasonably call into question their ability to function as a student in the medical school environment. For more about the process of clearance to return to enrollment and/or residence, see “Clearance to Return Related to Serious Concerns about the Health or Well-being of a Student” below.

The decision to place a student on an involuntary leave of absence for health-related reasons is made in consultation with Harvard University Health Services (which may consider information from the student’s current and/or former health care providers, if made available by the student), after an individualized assessment of all of the pertinent factors, such as: the nature of the student’s conduct; the nature, duration and severity of the risk; the likelihood of potential injury; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices or procedures will mitigate the risk, such as a reduced course load or course modifications. However, reasonable modifications do not include changes that would fundamentally alter the academic program or unduly burden the School’s resources or staffing capabilities or, with respect to the required level of care or monitoring, that would exceed the standard of care that a university health service can be expected to provide.

2. Failure to adhere to the terms of an agreement to engage in treatment. The student’s continued enrollment and/or residence is conditioned on the student’s agreement to meet the expectations set forth in an agreement to engage in treatment, such as following the recommendations of the student’s treatment team, and the student has failed to adhere to the terms of that agreement.

3. Alleged criminal behavior: The student has been arrested on allegations of serious criminal behavior or has been charged with such behavior by law enforcement authorities.

4. Risk to the community: The student has allegedly violated a disciplinary rule of the School, and his or her presence on campus poses a significant risk to safety or to the educational environment of the community.

5. Indebtedness: The student’s term bill is unpaid, and the student has not made arrangements acceptable to the School to address the issue.

6. Failure to provide medical documentation of required immunizations.

7. Unfulfilled School requirements: The student has not met an academic or other school requirement, including, without limitation, attending class or participating in required activities, and has not taken steps acceptable to the School to meet the requirement.

8. Failure to register. The student has not registered as required at the beginning of each term.

The decision to place a student on involuntary leave is made either by the Dean for Students in consultation with the chairperson of the Promotion and Review Board (PRB) or by the PRB. As noted above, in the case of an involuntary leave of absence for medical reasons, the School will consult with an appropriate person at Harvard University Health Services.

A student is notified in writing that they have been placed on involuntary leave. The student may petition the Dean for Students for reconsideration, generally within five calendar days, and may appeal a final decision to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

While on Leave of Absence

Students who go on leave of absence during the academic year is charged tuition and any applicable fees, including rent, to the end of the period in which they leave. Students receiving scholarship or other financial aid should consult the Financial Aid Office concerning the financial implications of going on leave. Foreign students should consult the International Office concerning their status.

The date a student goes on leave will affect the student's health insurance through Harvard. For details, review the Leave of Absence policy on the HUSHP website or contact the Student Health Insurance Office, Member Services, at 617-495-2008 or mservices@huhs.harvard.edu.

Libraries and other facilities normally may be used only by students who are currently registered. Students on leave may not participate in extracurricular activities. Exceptions to this rule must be specifically approved in advance by the School. If so instructed by the Dean for Students, a student on leave must remain away from the University/Medical School campus.

Students going on leave are reminded that all degree candidates, whether currently registered or not, are expected to maintain a satisfactory standard of conduct.

Following an individualized assessment, the School may require students who are on leave for medical reasons to comply with a treatment plan during their time away.

Returning to School

A student in good standing on a voluntary leave of absence ordinarily may return by notifying the HMS Registrar twelve weeks in advance of the start of any term or previously designated return date, although it remains the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have adequate time to complete the degree within the time limits established by the School.

Students who were not in good standing at the time a voluntary leave of absence was granted and students who were placed on an involuntary leave of absence must petition the Dean for Students for permission to return to the School and must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their leave have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume their studies. The decision whether to allow a student to return is made by the Dean for Students, in consultation with the chairperson of the PRB or such other person as the Dean designates.

If the leave, whether voluntary or involuntary, was for medical reasons, then the student must petition the Dean for Students for permission to return to the School and must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their leave have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume their studies. In addition, so that the School may conduct an individualized assessment of their circumstances, students on medical leave ordinarily will be required to consult with Harvard University Health Services (and to grant permission to Harvard University Health Services to obtain their relevant treatment records and communicate with their treatment providers) so that a professional assessment about the student’s productivity during their time away and readiness to return can be shared with the School. In addition, if the School learns of serious concerns about the health or well-being of a student who either has been hospitalized or visited the emergency room or whose behavior reasonably calls into question their ability to function as a student in the Medical School environment, then the School similarly may require the student to consult with Harvard University Health Services (and to grant permission to Harvard University Health Services to obtain their relevant treatment records and communicate with their treatment providers). For more about the process of clearance to return to enrollment and/or residence, see “Clearance to Return Related to Serious Concerns about the Health or Well-being of a Student” below. The purpose of such consultation is so that a professional assessment can be shared with the School about the student’s readiness to return and function in the student environment, with or without reasonable accommodation. Note that while the input of a student’s treatment provider is an important consideration in the petition process, Harvard University Health Services clinicians may have special knowledge of the University context to which students will be returning. In all such cases, the decision whether to allow a student to return is made by the Dean for Students, in consultation with PRB or such other person as the Dean designates. Any student whose petition to return from a medical leave of absence is denied will receive a written explanation of the decision and may submit a written appeal of the decision to the Dean for Medical Education or their designee within five (5) calendar days, based on the following grounds: (a) new materially relevant information has become available, and/or (b) there is reasonable evidence of a procedural error in the decision-making process.

Any disciplinary matter must be resolved before a student on leave of absence will be allowed to return, and if the student has been required to withdraw while on leave of absence, any conditions for return after a required withdrawal must also be satisfied.

Students returning from a leave who wish to apply for financial aid must notify the Financial Aid Office and file the necessary application forms by April 30 for the following fall term and by October 1 for the following spring term. Late applicants cannot be assured that their aid will be available in time for registration payment deadlines.

Students who have been granted a leave and who have borrowed money through Harvard must submit an annual loan deferment form upon their return to Harvard. Student borrowers returning from their leave are required to follow up with their servicers to ensure loans are placed back into in-school deferment status. For information about loan deferment and to acquire a deferment form, please visit Student Financial Services. All forms must be completed and certified by the Registrar immediately following Registration. Failure to file a deferment form upon return will cause payments to be due on loans and could affect future borrowing eligibility.

A student will not be allowed to register in the University again until all previous term-bill charges have been paid and no loan is in default.

Agreements to Engage in Treatment

The School may condition a student’s enrollment and/or residence on certain terms or conditions, as set forth in a written contract between the School and the student, when the student’s conduct or circumstances have caused heightened concerns about the student’s safety and/or well-being and: (a) the appropriateness of the student’s continued enrollment and/or residence; or (b) the student’s readiness to return to the Harvard community. The agreement to engage in treatment may include, among other things, compliance with a medical treatment plan, regular consultations with health care professionals, communication with administrators, and limited disclosure of relevant medical information, on a need-to-know basis, such as compliance with treatment and restrictions on certain activities. The decision to require such an agreement is arrived at in consultation with Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) after an individualized assessment of the nature of the student’s conduct and circumstances and any other pertinent factors.

Clearance for Return Related to Serious Concerns about the Health or Well-being of a Student

Clearance for Return to Residence and/or Continued Enrollment and Participation in Harvard-Related Programs or Activities

After a hospitalization or emergency room visit by one of its students, or in other circumstances that raise serious questions about the student’s health or well-being and reasonably call into question their ability to function as a student in the HMS environment, HMS ordinarily will not permit that student to return to a campus residence, continue enrollment, or participate in any Harvard-related programs or activities, without making its own assessment of the suitability of the student’s return. To better inform that assessment, students are expected to notify Harvard Medical School and HUHS of any hospitalization or emergency department visit. HUHS can be notified by phone 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week, at 617-495-5711.

Reason for Policy

An important consideration in HMS’ decision as to whether a student may continue in or return to enrollment and/or residence is the impact of the student’s presence on the community. A student who is injured, ill, or exhibiting disturbing or disruptive behavior may require ongoing care. Serious alcohol- or drug-related problems, in particular, have the potential to disrupt life in the academic community and/or residential life significantly and impair a student’s ability to function academically and socially. HMS regards as unreasonable the expectation that roommates, suitemates, friends, or HMS staff will take on health care responsibilities for other students.

Any student may, of course, refuse to allow consultation between the student’s clinician(s) and HMS, but such a refusal will not prevent HMS from making a decision regarding a student’s continued enrollment, participation in Harvard-related programs or activities and/or return to residence.

Procedure for Notice and Consultation

HMS will consult with clinicians at HUHS or, if the student has been treated elsewhere, clinicians at other facilities or in private practice, ordinarily with the student’s permission. Depending on all of the relevant circumstances, such consultation may be initiated either by HMS or by clinicians at HUHS. Notice by HUHS that a student has been hospitalized or treated in an emergency department of an area hospital may prompt HMS to begin a process of consultation through which it will decide whether and under what circumstances the student may continue in or return to residence or enrollment.

HMS also may independently decide that, based on its observations or other information it has about a student, it should initiate the process of consultation with HUHS clinicians, which may include ascertaining whether that student has been hospitalized or treated by an emergency department.

Consultation will be focused on the concerns raised by the student’s condition or behavior and requirements for continued care, in order to facilitate the Medical School’s decision about the student’s capacity to continue in or return to enrollment and/or residence.

Special Situations

Plan of action generated by the Promotion and Review Board (PRB): If the leave of absence is part of a plan generated by action of the Promotion and Review Board, then any requirements for reinstatement in addition to those set forth above will be developed by the Board in consultation with a student’s society. The PRB will notify the student directly. See Section 4.03.
Pregnancy and childbirth during medical school: See Section 2.21.

Important Information about Leaves of Absence

Financial Aid: Students on a leave of absence are not eligible to receive financial aid.
Loan Repayment: Because students on a leave of absence are not considered to be working toward their degree, the grace (deferral) period for loan repayment may lapse during the leave. For loans with the typical six or nine-month grace period, repayment will start after six or nine months of leave and continue through the rest of the leave. For such students, loan repayment will begin immediately after graduation rather than six or nine months into the first postgraduate year. Students need to review this information during the financial aid exit interview.
Malpractice Insurance: Students on leave are not covered by HMS for malpractice insurance.
Scholarly Engagement funding: Students on leave of absence are not eligible for funding through the Office of Scholarly Engagement; scholarly engagement funding is limited to students who are enrolled in the HMS MD program.

Last updated 11/29/23

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