Medical Leave of Absence

Georgetown University in Qatar is committed to supporting the success of its students and the safety and welfare of the community. Students experiencing situations that significantly limit their ability to succeed as students or present safety concerns for themselves or others, can request a medical leave of absence (MLOA).

Process for Taking a Medical Leave of Absence

• Make an appointment or visit the Student Wellness & Counseling Center (SWCC) to discuss your situation with a counselor and get advice about whether to take a medical leave of absence for your physical or mental health condition.
• The counselor will make a recommendation based on your unique situation to either take a Medical Leave of Absence or pursue another course of action.
• In the case of approval for a Medical Leave of Absence you are recommended to begin treatment or another course of action immediately after taking leave of the university.

Returning to School

• When you feel ready to return to the university, make another appointment with the Student Wellness & Counseling Center (SWCC).
• Based on that consultation, the counselor will make a recommendation to the dean regarding your readiness to return. Note that while the SWCC makes recommendations for both MLOAs and returns from MLOAs, the authority for granting leaves and returns rests with the dean’s office.
• You will be required to submit documents to apply for return, including a recommendation from your treatment provider. Once you have sent in all the required documentation, our internal SWCC committee reviews the materials to determine if the student appears ready to resume academics and university life.
• In the case of an approval, the SWCC will contact you to arrange a check-in visit to review your plan for maintaining optimal health, including recommendations for ongoing treatment if that is warranted.
• The Student Wellness & Counseling Center then contacts the dean’s office to indicate its recommendation. The dean’s office takes this recommendation into consideration when deciding whether or not to re-enroll a student.
• You will receive notice whether you are eligible for re-enrollment and steps to follow for re-enrolling in the next semester, or additional steps needed before re-enrollment is possible.

Please see the full Medical Leave of Absence policy to learn more about MLOA and its specific procedures.