The Curriculum Modification Request Form should be submitted as soon as your plans to take a break from or modify the sequence of the MD curriculum are reasonably concrete and specific (even if you haven't submitted a formal application or details haven't been fully decided yet). 

Who should submit this form?
  • Any MD student planning a break of longer than 6 weeks from the MD curriculum for any reason.
  • Any Phase 1 or 2 MD student planning a break of 6 weeks or less from the MD curriculum.
  • Any Phase 2 MD student wishing to defer a clerkship (whether or not there will be a break from the curriculum).
  • Any MD student planning to defer graduation while remaining fully enrolled in the MD curriculum. 

Who should NOT submit this form?
  • Students planning a break of 6 weeks or less during Phase 3; this will not be considered an official leave of absence so Phase 3 Flex Time can be used. Email wusmelectives@wustl.edu if you have questions.
  • MSTP students entering PhD research. Email wusmregistrar@wustl.edu if you have questions.

What will happen after I submit this form?
  1. All members of the Off-Cycle Operations team (deans and OMSE administrators who work with off-cycle MD students) will receive a summary report detailing your request. 
  2. Your request will be reviewed for approval by the Student Success Team (SST).
  3. The Off-Cycle Operations team will track the progress of your request and ensure all necessary approvals are received (from SST and, if relevant, any external approver [e.g., OMSRS, dual-degree admissions teams]).
  4. Approximately a week before your leave date, the Registrar will send out an official Change of Status to alert all relevant parties to your departure from the curriculum. At this time, any remaining MD courses scheduled to occur during your leave will be dropped from your schedule. You may choose to proactively drop Phase 3 elective courses, but required courses cannot be dropped until the Change of Status is sent.

Is there anything else I should do to ensure a smooth transition out of and back into the MD curriculum?
  • Students planning a break for academic or career-related reasons should talk to advisors! ALL students in this situation should schedule a meeting with Dean Diemer to discuss their plans. Phase 3 students should also talk to at least one relevant specialty advisor. Students planning a break during Phase 2 should carefully consider potential ramifications to their Phase 2 assessment requirements, Phase 3 schedule, residency application, and graduation date.
  • Students who need to take a break from the curriculum for personal or medical reasons should speak to the Student Success Team (Deans Emke, Sonn, Wallace, or Zehnder).

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THE BRANCHING LOGIC USED IN THIS SURVEY DOES NOT ALLOW FOR A BACK BUTTON. Confirm that all information is correct before moving on to the next section.

You will have an opportunity to provide additional comments or clarifications at the end of the survey.

If you have any questions about this form or the curriculum modification request process, email omsecurriculum@wustl.edu AND wusmregistrar@wustl.edu.
Requested Curriculum Modification (select all that apply; e.g., if you plan to apply for both a WashU dual degree AND a degree program at another institution, select both "Dual-Degree Program" AND "Academic Leave of Absence."
Departure Phase (if you plan to leave the MD curriculum between phases, select the phase you will have most recently completed; if you wish to defer a clerkship, select Phase 2):
Re-Entry Phase (if you wish to defer a clerkship, select Phase 2):