Leave of Absence eForms must be submitted in advance of the preliminary study list deadline of the requested quarter. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their plans for a leave of absence with their Academic Advising Dean and/or E4C Advisor prior to submitting the leave of absence.

Students who do not meet the requirement for continuous registration during the academic year must obtain an approved leave of absence, in advance, for the term(s) they will not be registered. The Leave of Absence must be reviewed for approval by the School of Medicine Registrar’s Office, and if the student is in the United States on a foreign student visa, by the Bechtel International Center. The granting of a Leave of Absence is at the discretion of the School of Medicine and is subject to review by the Office of the University Registrar. The University may condition its approval of a petition for a Leave of Absence on the student’s meeting such requirements as the University deems appropriate in the individual case for the student to be eligible to return.

Leaves of Absence are granted at the discretion of the School of Medicine for a maximum duration of one calendar year. Extensions beyond one year are considered only under exceptional circumstances and require a formal petition to the Committee on Performance, Professionalism, and Promotion (CP3) prior to the expiration of the original leave. The total cumulative duration of all approved Leaves of Absence may not exceed two years.

New students may not take a Leave of Absence during their first quarter. However, new students may request a deferment; whether to grant or deny the requested deferment is at the discretion of the School of Medicine.  

Students on Leaves of Absence are not registered at Stanford, and therefore do not have the rights and privileges of registered students.  They cannot fulfill any official department or University requirements during the leave period.

NOTE:   Students taking an approved Leave of Absence have not ended their relationship with the University. A student who is granted a Leave of Absence in Autumn for which the effective date of the Leave is prior to the first day of class will not be charged health insurance as they will not be eligible for Cardinal Care. Their eligibility will resume when they return and register for classes. A student who is granted a Leave of Absence for which the effective date for the leave is on or after the first day of the quarter and they are enrolled in Cardinal Care will remain enrolled for the plan year. Students with questions about this process can contact the Insurance Referral Office at Vaden Health Center at (650) 723-2135. Under some limited circumstances students on Leave of Absence may be able to make special arrangements to continue their university housing; students will need to deal directly with the relevant University offices involved to do so.

For more information see the Stanford University Leaves of Absence policy.

Childbirth Academic Accommodation Period

See University Policies: 5.9.1 Pregnancy, Childbirth, Adoption and Lactation: Policy.

A student’s academic degree program may be discontinued if the student:

• Fails to be enrolled by the final study list deadline; or
• Fails to be approved for a leave of absence by the final study list deadline; or
• Voluntarily terminates graduate studies; or
• Is dismissed from graduate students for academic reasons; or
• Is expelled from the University

Students who fail to be either enrolled by the final study list deadline or approved for a Leave of Absence by the final study list deadline or after voluntary withdrawal are required to apply for reinstatement through the Graduate Admissions Office before they can return to the same degree program.

Decisions regarding reinstatement to the MD Program are made by the Committee on Performance, Professionalism, and Promotion (CP3), which is not obligated to approve any request. The School of Medicine reserves the right to impose academic or other conditions on any reinstatement as deemed appropriate. Each application is reviewed individually, and decisions may consider a variety of factors, including but not limited to:

• The student’s academic standing at the time of departure
• Activities undertaken during the leave of absence
• Duration of the absence
• The likelihood of successful completion of the MD program
• The School’s ability to provide academic and/or financial support
• Any other factors the CP3 deems relevant

Students seeking reinstatement must complete the following at least 60 days prior to the first day of the term in which they wish to reenroll:

1. Complete and submit a reinstatement application. Approved applicants will be billed a reinstatement fee.
2. Complete and submit a separate formal written petition, which should clearly outline the student’s readiness to return and include any relevant supporting documentation. See Section 6.1: CP3 Introduction, C. Petitions for additional details regarding petitions.
3. Both the reinstatement application and the written petition should be submitted to the Associate Director for Medical Student Advancement, who serves as a CP3 representative, at jshields@stanford.edu.

updated August 2025