Medical Program Participation Guidelines

You are expected to notify the School of any absence as soon as you are aware that you will not be participating in learning experiences, by submitting an Absence Notification form. 

Complete the MD Absence Notification Form (2025)

Frequency asked questions regarding absence notification are outlined below:

1. Why do I need to notify my absence?

Notifying your absence ensures that the medical school is aware of any missed mandatory and required activities and enables rescheduling of mandatory activities to enable you to complete the program.

2. What are the consequences of being absent from the program?

Vital learning experiences may be missed which may affect your progression.

The impact of absences on fulfilling course requirements during progress reviews and assessments will be evaluated. Some learning activities will need to be rescheduled to ensure requirements can be met. This is not possible for all activities and there is a limit to how this can be achieved within the time available.

3. What is the consequence of not notifying my absence?

We want to ensure you have the tools to complete the program requirements. By letting us know, we will be able to help you meet all components of the program and ensure we are providing you with the support you need.

As such, unnotified absences can have several consequences:

• They will be considered during progress reviews (in the BE component  for years 1-3) and may affect your progression decisions.
• They will be evaluated for their impact on fulfilling course requirements during progress reviews and assessments.
• Recurrent unnotified absences may trigger an assessment of your fitness to practice/study, in line with university policies and the Medical School Wellbeing and Success Framework and Code of professional Conduct.  

4. Where can I find the Absence Notification Form?

The Absence Notification Form can be found here and on your year specific Blackboard site.

5. Do I need a sick certificate for my absence?

For unplanned leave, such as sick leave, you may need to provide a sick certificate for sick leave of 3 days or longer, or if required due to a pattern of non-attendance. You will be asked to retain this evidence and may be asked to produce it as supporting evidence during progress review.

6. What is self-care leave?

Self-care leave refers to time taken off for personal health and well-being. It is not sick leave, but a day to prioritise your self care.  A specific reason does not need to be given. It is important to notify the school of such absences . 

Rules regarding self care leave include:

• Can only be taken 3 times per semester
• Can not be taken consecutively
• Can not be taken during exam or assessment periods or when mandatory activities are planned
• Can not be taken during the first or last week of the semester

7. Is the Absence Notification Form a permission slip?

No, the Absence Notification Form is not a permission slip. It is a notification. As long as you have submitted the form, your leave is considered notified and you have permission for the absence.

8. When should I notify the school of my absence?

You are expected to notify the school of any absence as soon as you are aware that you will not be participating in learning experiences.

• Planned/anticipated absences (e.g., presenting at a conference and self care leave): Notify your absence prior to the planned event.
• Unexpected absences (e.g. sick leave): Submit the Absence Notification Form in a timely fashion, and no later than 24 hours after the first day of absence.

9. What happens if I fail to submit an Absence Notification Form in a timely manner?

Failure to submit an Absence Notification Form in a timely manner may impact your ability to complete any alternative learning experiences. For example, mandatory activities will not be able to be rescheduled unless you have notified of your absence and may therefore impact your ability to complete the course/program requirements.

10. What should I do for absences involving multiple consecutive days?

When you notify us of leave periods involving multiple consecutive days, you will be asked to provide details of missed learning experiences.

You are encouraged to retain supporting documentation where available, for example, a conference program including details of the session at which you are presenting.

Any absence due to illness of three or more consecutive days, or multiple recurrent days (e.g. every Monday), requires a medical certificate as noted above.

11. Who else do I need to tell about my absence?

In addition to notifying the school through an Absence Notification, you are expected to notify your teaching/clinical unit.  The form will provide a link to the contact details of the relevant area.  It is good professional conduct to directly communicate with those who will be impacted by your leave.

Learning plans for compensatory learning

As a postgraduate student, you are responsible for ensuring that you compensate for any missed learning. You are strongly recommended to prepare a learning plan for any absences from learning experiences for which alternative digital learning modalities are not available. Your learning plan should contain details on how you intend to compensate for the missed learning and how these tasks align with the learning outcomes related to missed learning. In planned/anticipated absences this learning plan should be prepared prospectively and shared with your Course Coordinator, and clinical unit where necessary.

Prioritising your health

The School understands that it is important to prioritise your health as this is a key component of good medical practice. Staying healthy contributes to your ability to practice safely. 

There may be times when you need to take time off during the semester and these guidelines offer the flexibility for you to do so within reason. If you need to take time off to prioritise your health, you are asked to inform your tutor or clinical supervisor of your absence in a timely manner and submit an absence notification. 

If you repeatedly miss significant periods of learning experiences and are identified as not participating, the School will involve the Medical Student Support Team to make sure that you are okay.

Implications for lack of participation

Participation in line with these guidelines is a component of every ECP. Assessment and progression decisions are based on participation and/or engagement measures (see UQ policy on Assessment). You will be at risk of not meeting your course requirements if your participation is below what is expected of a medical student. Students at risk of failing will be discussed during progress reviews and at the end of year progression decision committees or Board of Examiners meeting, where participation and performance throughout the semester will be reviewed. In assessing participation, consideration will be given to your engagement with the absence notification and learning plan process. 

Student academic support

If you feel that you are unable to satisfactorily participate in the required learning experiences during your courses, you are encouraged to contact your Course Coordinator/s in the first instance for advice. You are also encouraged to contact your clinical unit when this involves clinical placements. 

If your participation is unsatisfactory due to prolonged absence or other reasons for non-engagement, you may be advised to apply for an interruption to studies or withdraw from the course. The decision to interrupt your studies is complex. You will be encouraged to contact your course coordinator, clinical unit, the relevant Academic Guidance Lead and the medical school student support team to assist you to work through your options.