Recently I have been following the case of an MD who has been fighting the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to be afforded an extra 60 minutes of break time to pump breast milk for her new born. Sophie Currier, who has received an MD and PhD from Harvard, has already been given extra time to take the medical licensing exam since she has dyslexia. She attempted to take the exam a few weeks before giving birth to her second child, only to fail by a few points.
The NBME explains the time allotted for the exam as follows: "A computerized exam, Step 2 CK consists of eight testing blocks of up to one hour each, plus 45 minutes of break time and an optional 15-minute tutorial. Examinees may use their break time throughout the day as they choose (e.g., take multiple short breaks between blocks of the test or fewer breaks of longer duration)."
NBME defends their decision to deny Dr. Currier's request by stating that several other mothers have taken the exam with the allotted break time with no problems. That is probably because these women didn't want to ruffle the proverbial feathers and have to deal with the situation Dr. Currier is currently in. And who would want to? The pressures of taking the exam and being a mother to a newborn, mixed in with ongoing court appeals? Its too much for someone to deal with at once. Reading over NBME's position on the web site linked above, the organization claims Dr. Currier is already given exemption by being permitted:
"a variety of comfort measures and personal item exceptions, such as permission to bring multiple, assembled pumps to eliminate the time involved in cleaning, assembling, and disassembling them; permission to pump milk while taking the test and on break time, with privacy within the constraints of exam security, in the individual testing room that she receives on account of her ADA disability. We also provided her with a sample schedule demonstrating how an examinee can flexibly manage the time to take a 20- to 30-minute break every three hours."
I don't know that I can really call any tools related to pumping breast milk as "comfort measures."
I am most interested in Dr. Currier's situation because I feel that once again the odds are stacked against a successful woman, who wants both a family and a successful career. While I recognize NBME's committment to consistency and fairness to all MD's taking the exam, I feel Dr. Currier is just taking a stand for her rights, on account of both her dyslexia and her need to pump milk for her child. Is she being punished for being a mother?
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That's an interesting case. I can see both sides, and I wonder what 'the rest of the story' is and whether it has any relevance.
Has Dr. Currier already been given special dispensation? She has. Has it been enough? She does not think so. Does she have the right to more special treatment?
I'm divided. For a physician, I want someone eminently qualified, not one who needed extra time and lowered bars in order to qualify. On the other hand, this is clearly a dedicated and intelligent woman who has already earned two advanced degrees and is serious about passing her boards.
Sometimes it even comes down to personalities. Maybe she is combative when a softer approach might have worked better and had less press coverage
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