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Leaves of absence in health science programs: Not a catch‐all solution
Author(s) -
Meeks Lisa M.,
Murray Joseph F.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
disability compliance for higher education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1943-8001
pISSN - 1086-1335
DOI - 10.1002/dhe.30754
Subject(s) - mental health , flare , psychology , health science , medical education , mathematics education , applied psychology , medicine , psychiatry , physics , astrophysics
Health science students with disabilities may experience a worsening of symptoms that can fluctuate and impact their functioning. A myopic response to these flares is to suggest a leave of absence. In these cases, the message to the student is “Take some time off and get this fixed. Then return when you are well.” The flaw in this approach is the idea that students must be 100% well to engage in the program. Functioning occurs on a spectrum from low functioning (where a student may legitimately require a leave) to high functioning (where no limitations exist). Many students experiencing a flare fall in the middle, able to continue in the program with the aid of accommodations ( see “Mental health and functioning” box at bottom of page ).