Policies and procedures

Please utilize the following leave of absence checklist during your process of requesting a leave. The checklist is not required to go on a leave of absence but provided for your convenience and understanding. 

Leave of absence checklist

1. Review the leave of absence (LOA) policy in the Medical Student Handbook.
2. Considering taking a LOA? Set up a meeting with your assigned class counselor at stars.wayne.edu. A meeting with the Assoc. Dean of Student Affairs where final approval is granted, may be needed.
3. Submit a LOA request (PLOA, FLOA, MLOA, ELOA) or Intake (ALOA) Form.
4. Set up a meeting with one of the following Financial Aid Officer to understand the financial implications of taking a Leave of Absence. Adam Zangerle (aj7945@wayne.edu) or Dr. Barbara Jones (ab1146@wayne.edu).
5. Set up a meeting with the Enrollment Management to discuss LOA enrollment implications. To set up a meeting reach out to Jonathan Krause (ht0314@wayne.edu).
6. If you have health insurance through the SoM and you wish to maintain that coverage while on LOA, you must contact Shanae Pruitt (smpruitt@wayne.edu) in Enrollment Management to determine the status of your health insurance during your leave. If applicable, you are also advised to receive counsel regarding your eligibility to receive long term disability benefits.
7. You are expected to remain in professional compliance with timely documentation of all required vaccinations including annual Flu and any recommended COVID-19 boosters prior to your return.
8. Check your student account for holds. Go to "Prepare for Registration" Select a future term and view if you have any holds. 
9. You will be added to a LOA Canvas course. In this course, you can explore research opportunities, mental health support, study materials, and more.

If you have questions for Student Affairs, please call 313-577-1463. If you have any Leave of Absence questions, please contact medenrollment@wayne.edu. 

Leave of absence checklist - print only

The School of Medicine strives to create a safe and supportive learning environment that reflects the Institution’s values: professionalism, respect for individual rights, appreciation of diversity and differences, altruism, compassion and integrity. We are committed to maintaining an educational and professional environment that is free of all forms of harassment and discrimination and take the rights of our students very seriously. Incidents of medical student mistreatment are addressed following the reporting process below.

Discuss

Counselor, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Assistant Dean of Basic Science, Assistant Dean of Clinical Education, WSUSOM clerkship/course director, hospital system clinical campus Director of Medical Education, or the Office of Ombudsman at WSU

File a School of Medicine report

File a report anonymously or self-disclosed via the following link: Mistreatment Reporting Form

The form will be received by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. All investigations are confidential and your information is protected during any follow-up activities. If you would like to receive feedback about the outcome of your concern, please provide your name.  If you are not comfortable providing your name, but would still like follow up of any outcomes concerning your complaint, you may create an anonymous or disposable email address on the form.

Examples of Mistreatment

Students should use this Mistreatment Policy to address discriminatory, unfair, arbitrary or capricious treatment by faculty, staff, students, clinical teaching faculty and medical personnel. The school adheres to the professional standards of behavior established by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Wayne State University Nondiscrimination Policy (referenced in III.c.)  Students are expected to report behavior which interferes with the learning process. Students should consider the conditions, circumstances and environment surrounding the behavior. Examples of discriminatory, unfair, arbitrary or capricious treatment include, but are not limited to: *

Physical

• Physically mistreated causing pain or potential injury
• Pushed/slapped hand (“get out of the way communication”)
• Exposed to other forms of physical mistreatment used to express frustration, make a point or get attention

Verbal

• Accused
• Threatened/intimidated
• Yelled at/snapped at
• Degraded/ridiculed/humiliated/sworn at/scolded/berated
• Exposed to inappropriate conversation/comments (of nonsexual and nonracial nature)

Sexual harassment

• Making sexual comments, innuendo, jokes, or taunting remarks about a person’s protected status as defined in the University’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. (referenced in III.c.)
• Making sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct or communication of a sexual nature as per the University Sexual Harassment Policy, http://bog.wayne.edu/code/2_28_06.php.
• Ignored because of gender
• Stalking of a sexual nature; i.e. persistent and unwanted contact of any form whether physical, electronic or by any other means.

Ethnic

• Exposed to racial or religious slurs/jokes as defined in the University’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. (referenced in III.c.)
• Stereotyped
• Neglected/ignored (because of student’s ethnicity)

Power

• Dehumanized/demeaned/humiliated (nonverbally)
• Intimidated/threatened with evaluation or grade consequences
• Asked to do inappropriate tasks/scut work
• Forced to adhere to inappropriate work schedules
• Neglect/ignored

*list adapted from Fried et. al, Academic Medicine, Sept 2012                               

Please note: When one party has any professional responsibility for another’s academic or job performance or professional future, the university considers sexual relationships between the two individuals to be a basic violation of professional ethics and responsibility; this includes but is not limited to sexual relationship between faculty and student or between supervisor and student, even if deemed to be mutually consenting relationships. Because of the asymmetry of these relationships, “consent” may be difficult to assess, may be deemed not possible, and may be construed as coercive.

The SOM follows official University Closures/Remote Day Policies but maintains discretion to make independent
determinations for essential curricular elements in coordination with Main Campus Administration.

Rationale:
Due to the unique and complex nature of the MD Curriculum, a shift to remote instruction may not be
feasible and jeopardize essential learning, especially in the clinical care setting. Remote operations may
also be irrelevant in the MD learning space as many students are geographically dispersed for clinical ro-
tations unequally affected by local weather patterns, or scheduled for shifts out of sync with normal work
day hours. An automatic default to extraction of medical students from their tailored learning environment
results in loss of valuable clinical and professional skills training that can often not be reclaimed. Accord-
ingly, all efforts will be made to maintain and model the duty, routines, and practices expected for phy-
sicians-in-training towards their profession, patients, and society. Thus, in coordination with University
Administration, the SOM may exercise the latitude to maintain previously scheduled clinical activities or
on-site examinations.

Independent Determinations for Essential Curricular Elements:
All core M3 Clerkships and Senior Clinical Rotations are pre-determined Essential Curricular Elements.
Continuation of any additional curricular elements deemed essential during a University Closure will be de-
termined by the respective Segment Directors in collaboration with the Associate Deans for Clinical Educa-
tion and Student Affairs. Expectations will be clearly and timely communicated to students via the class-ap-
propriate listservs or established portals by the Course/Segment/Clerkship Directors. It is the responsibility
of students to check their emails and relevant class/course communication portals for awareness of any
such independent determinations from the SOM once an Inclement Weather Alert has been issued by the
University. The SOM expects that, as physicians in training, students will balance their professional respon-
sibilities with common sense to develop personal decision-making. As such, if a medical student feels that
they cannot safely make it to the medical campus, hospital, or clinical site for a determined essential curricu-
lar element (including examinations) during a university issued closure/remote day, they are to contact their
clinical team/ preceptor or class counselor for an excused absence as indicated per the specific guidance
below. As with any absence, students are expected to make-up that missed essential curricular element in
coordination with their course director/preceptor.

M1 and M2 (Pre-Clerkship phase)

In the event that Wayne State University declares a Closure/Remote Day due to inclement weather, 
the School of Medicine will be closed and remote for classroom instruction. All classes and small group ac-
tivities during the closure/remote day will follow the university guidelines below:
• No classes or activities will occur in-person as the campus will be closed.
• Online synchronous and asynchronous classes will continue to meet remotely unless the instructor
determines circumstances make it necessary to cancel.
• A class that moves from in-person to remote will meet at the regularly scheduled time or at a time
specified by the course directors(s).
• As needed, a revised schedule for exams or other activities will be sent out via the list-serve.
• In case of an Independent Determination issued by the SOM for continuation of an Essential
Curricular Element during a University Closure: If a medical student feels that they cannot safely
make it to the medical campus for a determined essential curricular element (i.e. Gross Anatomy
examination) during a university issued closure/remote day, they are to contact their class counselor
for an excused absence per the usual procedure. As with any absence, students are expected to
make-up that missed essential curricular element in coordination with their course director.

M3 and M4 (Clerkship phase)

Medical Students are assigned to the clinical campus sites and thus follow the routines and practices of clini-
cians. As such, all clinical rotations and duties are deemed Essential Curricular Elements.
Clerkships and hospital sites have agreed to be lenient for situations that students may feel are unsafe. The
SOM expects that, as physicians in training, students will balance their professional responsibilities with
common sense to develop personal decision-making on these issues at this advanced stage in their medical
education. During an official university inclement weather/remote day closure only: If you feel that you
cannot safely make it to the hospital or clinical site, you are to contact your team or preceptor rather than
your class counselor as this will not be recorded as an unexcused absence. Students excused for inability to
traverse to their assigned sites during remote operations for inclement weather based on their best judge-
ment will not be adversely graded with active surveillance by the Associate Dean for Clinical Education/Cur-
ricular Affairs Office. However, as for any absence, the clerkship director or hospital team may instruct you
to make up the time missed.
• If the University is otherwise open (not weekends or holidays), students must get an excused
absence from their counselor for any missed days other than official WSU inclement weather
closures.
• For severe snow storms occurring on days that the University is not open (weekends, holidays),
students should directly contact their faculty supervisor/rounding team to notify them if they will
not be in due to hazardous weather conditions.
• Segment 3 and Segment 4 students may be required to make up clinical time that is missed at the
discretion of the WSUSOM Clerkship Director.
• As needed, a revised schedule for exams or other activities will be sent out via the list-serve.

M3/M4 - Students are not allowed to miss clerkship orientation or days of required activities that have no makeup. Students are not allowed to be gone for the dates of any exams. Foreign travel (except nearby Canada) is not allowed. Excused dates cannot be extended after commencement of travel and travel delays are not viable excuses. This request must be filed 60 days in advance of the meeting, and is revocable at any time if there are changes in the student’s eligibility status. Download excused absence form.

M1/M2 - Must receive an excused absence from their counselor.

If you are considering withdrawal from medical school, you must contact your counselor and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Development to discuss your intent. Withdrawal is a permanent, voluntary student-initiated request for termination in the MD program. Students wishing to withdraw must submit a written request to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Development, including in the request the statement that the student understands that withdrawal is voluntary, permanent, and not subject to appeal. A student cannot avoid disciplinary action or academic hearing procedures through a request to withdraw, however, the Promotions Committee may allow a student to withdraw prior to the completion of such hearings or an action to dismiss. Only the Promotions Committee and the Vice Dean for Medical Education can involuntarily withdraw a student. View the complete Withdrawal Policy (Section 9.7)