Should nursing mother get special treatment for med school exam?

Sophie Currier, a nursing mother and a medical student at Harvard Medical School, has asked a Massachusetts Superior Court judge to require additional break time and a private room so she can express breastmilk during the National Board of Medical Examiners nine hour exam on clinical knowledge:

The case, to be heard on Wednesday, is a harbinger of what could be a growing problem. More women than ever are studying medicine, and they must take three exams to become doctors. At the same time, groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly encourage breast-feeding for its health and developmental benefits.

Ms. Currier, 33, of Brookline, Mass., wrote to the medical examiners’ board in June to request the extra time, saying she needed to pump milk to avoid painful breast engorgement and mastitis, an infection stemming from blocked milk ducts.

In a letter dated July 11, Catherine Farmer, the board’s manager of disability services, responded that it could accommodate only conditions covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act. She added that Ms. Currier could spend some of her break time pumping breast milk in another testing room. Testing rooms are monitored and have glass walls.

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/health...
Filed under: Feeding Issues
Tags: breastfeeding, harvard medical school, sophie currier