Short Term Absence (STA) Guide for MD Students

Types of Absences

1. Leave of Absence

• Definition: 14 or more consecutive days
• What to do: Submit a written request to your Campus Dean and Manager
• Governed by the LOA Policy (UGME)

2. Short Term Absence

• Definition: Less than 14 consecutive days
• Effective: March 30, 2026 onward
• What to do: Complete the STA Form

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Categories of Short Term Absences

​1. Institutionally Sanctioned Absence

• Accessibility or equity accommodations
• Religious, Indigenous, or spiritual observances
• Official UGME meetings (by invitation)
• Timeline: Report as soon as you know

2. Unanticipated Absence

• Time away due to unexpected events:
  • Illness or injury
  • Personal emergencies (e.g., crisis, bereavement)
  • Family emergencies
  • Travel/transportation issues
    
• Timeline:
  • Report no earlier than 7 days before, and
  • No later than 3 days after the absence begins

C. Personal Absence

• Major life events (e.g., weddings, athletics, moving)
• Professional appointments (e.g., accountant, mechanic)
• Conferences or academic events (non-curricular)
• Timeline: Must be submitted at least 30 days in advance

​Important Restrictions:
You cannot miss:

• Mandatory assessments (e.g., OSCE, exams, PPI, CAE)
• Scheduled individual/group assessments
• Pre-Clerkship Electives
• Clerkship teaching activities (e.g., sim days, academic half-days)

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​How Absences Are Counted (Including Half Days)

• The STA form allows you to enter decimal values (e.g., 0.25, 0.5)
• However, the system rounds to the nearest half day:
  • Example:
    • Miss morning, attend afternoon → counts as 0.5 day
    • Miss most of the day → counts as 1 day

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Absence Monitoring & Follow-Up

• UGME leadership may follow up if you:
  
  • Miss > 3 consecutive days
    
  • Miss > 7 cumulative days in a year
    
  • Miss > 1 clinical service day in a clerkship/elective
    

• What Happens in Follow-Up Meetings?
  
  • Review your overall absence pattern
    
  • Assess impact on learning objectives, missed activities, completed make-up work
    

Is There a Maximum Number of Absence Days?

• No strict cap
  
• Each case is reviewed individually, based on impact on progression, not the number of days
  
• However around 24 cumulative days/year may make it difficult to demonstrate sufficient learning
  

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For more information, please visit the Absence page on medportal.