HotmailNo breast-feeding break for mom’s M.D. test
Judge denies Harvard student’s request for extra time during 9-hour exam
 | Slideshow |
 | Sleeping beauties Sweet dreams are made of this: Photographer Tracy Raver captures the calm contentment of napping newborns in these adorable portraits. more photos |
 | Community |
 | Discuss. Share. Connect. Join our newest community! It’s a place for meaningful discussions around topics important to TODAY's moms. |
Special feature |
 |
 |
 Police to talk with Woods after crash Nov. 28: Florida officials are hoping the golfer can provide some answers as to what caused his car to hit a fire hydrant and a tree in his neighbor’s yard after he pulled out of his driveway at 2:25 a.m. NBC’s Mark Potter reports. |
|
 Kid chef cooks holiday treats Nov. 27: A 13-year-old cook teaches the TODAY hosts how to whip up a turkey risotto that is perfect for the holidays. |
BOSTON - A judge rejected a Harvard student’s request Wednesday for extra break time during her nine-hour medical licensing exam so she could pump breast milk for her infant daughter.
Sophie Currier, 33, sued after the National Board of Medical Examiners turned down her request to take more than the standard 45 minutes in breaks during the exam.
She said that if she does not nurse her 4-month-old daughter, Lea, or pump breast milk every two to three hours, she risks medical complications.
Norfolk Superior Court Judge Patrick Brady said Currier has other options, beyond asking the board to change its rules for her.
“The plaintiff may take the test and pass, notwithstanding what she considers to be unfavorable conditions. The plaintiff may delay the test, which is offered numerous times during the year, until she has finished her breast-feeding and the need to express milk,” he said.
Currier has finished a joint M.D.-Ph.D. program at Harvard University while having two babies in two years. She has been offered a residency in clinical pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital in November, but cannot accept it unless she passes the test. Her goal is a career in medical research.
She has already received special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act for dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, including being granted permission to take the test over two days instead of one.
In the lawsuit, she was seeking an additional 60-minute break on each day. The board cited the need to be consistent in the amount of time given to doctoral candidates and said other nursing mothers who have taken the exam have found the 45 minutes of permitted break time sufficient.
Federal anti-discrimination laws do not protect nursing mothers. The Breastfeeding Promotion Act that is pending in Congress would protect women from being fired or punished for pumping milk or nursing.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM PARENTING |
 Parenting Section Front |
| Add Parenting headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links
Resource guide