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Leaves of Absence

 

There are two types of leaves of absence: medical leave and personal leave. Medical Leave of Absence

The Committee on Course and Standing (CCS) may grant a student a leave of absence for medical reasons for up to one year. To apply for a medical leave of absence, a student must submit the following to the Chair of the CCS and to the Assistant Dean/Director:

·         A letter from the student describing the reasons for requesting a medical leave.

·         A letter from a clinician substantiating these reasons.

To return from a medical leave of absence, the student must submit a letter declaring intent to return to the Program, as well written medical clearance from their provider recommending that the student be allowed to return to the program to the Chair of the CCS committee and to the Associate Dean/Director.

 The student must submit an additional letter for clearance to return by June 1 for a fall readmission, December 1 for a spring readmission and May 1 for a summer readmission. If, by the end of the leave, a student fails to notify the CCS committee regarding intent to return or fail to register, s/he will be considered to have resigned from the CUNY School of Medicine PA Program.

 

Personal Leave of Absence

 Under extenuating circumstances, the Committee on Course and Standing (CCS) may grant a student a personal leave of absence for a period of up to one year. It may be granted regardless of academic standing. A personal leave of absence is designed to allow students the time to address personal matters so that they can better prepare to meet the academic rigors of the curriculum. A personal leave should not substitute for a medical leave of absence or be seen as a solution for academic difficulty.

To apply for a personal leave of absence, a student must submit a letter to the Associate Dean/Program

Director. The letter must include the length of the leave, the reason(s) that precipitated the request for the leave and what the student hopes to resolve during the course of the personal leave of absence. The Committee on Course & Standing will then meet to decide whether to grant the student's request. The committee may request the student to attend the meeting.

Requests for personal leaves should be made no later than the tenth week into the semester. This date is in accordance with the College's deadline to drop courses without an academic penalty (assign a grade "W" [withdrawal without penalty]). Extraordinary circumstances will be forwarded to the Committee on Course and Standing for consideration.

The student will be notified in writing of the decision of the Course & Standing committee. Should the leave be granted, the terms will be specified in the approval letter. If the request for a leave is denied, the student may appeal the decision to the Dean of the CUNY School of Medicine.

The student must notify the Associate Dean/Director of the PA Program in writing of his or her intention to return to the Program. The student must submit this letter by June 1 for a fall readmission, December 1 for a spring readmission and May 1 for a summer readmission. If, by the end of the leave, a student fails to notify the CCS regarding intent to return or fail to register, s/he will be considered resigned from the CUNY School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program.