Alfdog

Board Refuses To Let Woman Have Extra Breaks

POSTED: 2:42 pm PDT September 12, 2007

BOSTON -- Sophie Currier is a breast-feeding mother of two who has just completed an MD-Ph.D. program at Harvard University.

Before she can have the career she's dreamed of, however, she must pass a nine-hour medical licensing exam scheduled for next week. But the National Board of Medical Examiners is refusing to let her have the extra time she needs to pump breast milk every three hours in order to avoid serious medical complications, Boston television station WCVB reported.

"Because it's physically impossible for a nursing mom to go nine hours or nine-and-a-half hours without expressing milk, I told them that they were putting me in a position of choosing between nursing my child and taking this exam and advancing my career," Currier said.

Currier has already overcome serious obstacles in her life -- dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. To fight this obstacle, she is suing the licensing board, alleging discrimination.

"I think that it's actually discriminating against women because men don't have to do this job. No male will ever have to face this problem of deciding between feeding (his) child and taking an exam," Currier said.

An attorney for the board said, "We can't have an ad hoc preference for Sophie Currier. It wouldn't be fair to others taking the test or to the public."

But Currier said one of the things that bothers her the most is what she calls the hypocrisy of the board's position.

"The medical community is putting a huge effort out -- or portions of the medical community -- to encourage women to breastfeed. If we are to breastfeed, we need to be accommodated to do so," Currier said.

Currier said that she hopes that a federal judge will simply order the board to give her additional break time beyond the total 45 minutes the rules now allow.

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98BlownSnake

she should just bring a pump with her to the exam but really its kind of lame they wont work out something with her

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TerryTuffguy

:boobsuck:

MOIISKA

I agree with her. If they made exceptions for her all throughout her educational career, why should they stop now.

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intercede007

9 hour exam. 3 hours between "pumps". 45 minute total break time.

That means she can do 3 hours, take a 22.5 minute break and "pump" and repeat. Then the exam is over.

Problem solved.

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Sneaker-net: how can you not love a protocol which recognizes bathroom breaks as a valid cause of latency? /shiftace

Nicoleski

the pumps aren't quiet.

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MOIISKA

You haven't taken any state boards of the medical kind, have you... you haven't a clue as to what kind of a disruption it would be for the rest of the test takers...

She needs to take the test seperatly...

In most cases, these tests are offered once or twice a year... it's a whole ordeal.

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SteelDust

manual pumps are nearly silent.

My wife finds the time to pump 3 times on her breaks at work and lunch during a 8 hour shift.

This test taker could accomplish the pumping on her break time. All she needs to do is express enough milk so that there is no discomfort, would not take her long at all.

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intercede007

There is clearly break time. She can pump then. Since you seem to have taken the test, what prevents her from de-juicing the nip while the test is paused? Are her tits going to cause a lapse in concentration during a break?

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Sneaker-net: how can you not love a protocol which recognizes bathroom breaks as a valid cause of latency? /shiftace

C17chief

She should just bring a bowl with her, and milk herself by hand during the test.

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v6RIOT

that is BS

EXTREMEG

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