Students are permitted and encouraged to attend to their health care needs and are excused from classes and clinical activities to access health care services.

For planned or urgent health care appointments:

Students are encouraged to plan appointments on scheduled times/days off to maximize their educational opportunities and experiences.

However, if a student needs to miss a basic science class, they can notify the Senior Associate Dean for Students, who will notify the Course Director of the excused absence.

If a student needs to miss a clinical clerkship/elective, they should contact the clerkship director and coordinator and notify the involved faculty and residents that they will be absent. The student may also notify the Senior Associate Dean for Students of the absence. Students must make up any missed exams or may need to make up any time off to fulfill clerkship or course requirements.

For illness:

Students are excused from classes and clinical activities for illness. If a student needs to be excused, they should:

For the basic science courses, a student should notify the Senior Associate Dean for Students, who will notify the Course Director of the excused absence.

On clinical rotations, a student should immediately email the Clerkship Director, the Clerkship Coordinator, and the supervising attending and housestaff for the clerkship in which they are enrolled and ask that all involved faculty and residents be notified that they will be absent. The student must notify the Office of Student Support as well of the absence.

If a student needs to miss an exam or multiple days of a rotation due to illness, they must make up the missed exam and they may be required to make up part of the clinical clerkship/elective. A doctor’s note and/or Leave of Absence may be required by the Office of Student Support if a student misses exam(s) and/or multiple days of a clinical rotation. This is an individual departmental decision based on the required learning objectives and activities of that rotation.

Last approved by SOM Committee on Curriculum and Educational Policy: August 4, 2025