The period between the completion of Term 5 and the start of Term 6 is considered vacation time, provided the student’s clinical term begins within 20 weeks of the end of Term 5.
Due to the nature of the academic calendar, USMLE requirements and clinical placement schedules, students might not be able to start their first clinical term until after this vacation period ends. If this occurs, the student must be placed on a Leave of Absence (LOA). If the student is a US Federal aid recipient, the LOA will allow the student to maintain federal student loans in an “in school” deferment status. This LOA can be for a maximum of six months.
Beyond this time, the student’s US Federal student loans will go into a repayment status, and the student will need to seek the necessary authorization to extend the LOA.
Students must complete the Basic Sciences within 3 years of matriculation and the full MD program within 6 years of matriculation. Students who have taken the maximum 3 years for the Basic Sciences must start clinicals within 6 months of completing the Basic Sciences. In the rare instance that the CAPPS has granted a student more than 3 years to complete the Basic Sciences (for courses > 4 credits), the student must start rotations at the first available start date following the completion of Basic Sciences requirements. Any delays starting clinical studies are factored into the 6-year maximum timeline.
PLEASE NOTE: While it is important that a student’s interim LOA enrollment status is maintained for federal student loan purposes, it is not reflected on a student’s transcript unless the student fails the USMLE Step 1 or declines the rotation that is made available to the student by the Office of Clinical Education Operations.