I hear what you’re saying, and I’m glad you were able to express a dissenting opinion in a respectful way. That said, I think it’s great you’re voicing your opinion, even if it differs from mine, because you’re not resorting to personal insults or misogynistic overtones. Why can’t everyone express themselves this way, I don’t know.

Anyway, if you don’t support her, fine. It’s no skin off my nose, and I can even honestly admit that I’m glad you managed to express that eloquently and with respect. I realize not many people want Sophie Currier as their Lactivist Representative (or Feminist one). However, I don’t see anyone else fighting for lactational accommodations in standardized tests, so this is the choice I’ve been given. I choose to support her in her endeavor to get these breastfeeding/lactating accommodations because I think they’re reasonable. I think the accommodations are reasonable for ANY woman. It just so happens that Sophie Currier is the one asking for them.

When Rosa Parks did what she did, I’ll bet there were some people in the civil rights movement who probably told themselves they didn’t want Rosa representing them. Maybe at the time, her bold move was “too radical” or “not respectful” enough. Some people probably thought she’d do more harm than good. Now, though, with the benefit of hindsight, everyone can see what she did was exceptionally brave, and marked a turning point in the civil rights movement. We can learn a lot from history, Elena. The landmark decision by the judge to grant Sophie Currier pumping time is very significant. You want to make this all about Sophie Currier, but it’s not. This decision is not about Sophie Currier. It’s about ALL women in her position. It sets a precedent, and that’s why I am in favor of supporting her.

And who said women are equal to men? What does that mean? Women and men have different needs. Are you going to start arguing that a woman in labor is equal to a man and therefore her temporary state of labor shouldn’t be taken into account for any given situation? That would be ridiculous, right? Well, I see pregnancy in a very similar way. Sure, yes, many women can manage a pregnancy and work/tests/school just fine, but that doesn’t mean every woman will or even should have to. I’m not making excuses for her when I say that I wouldn’t have been able to sit in one position and take a nine hour test (and pass it). I’m only speaking of myself and my own experience, and I sympathize with hers. This doesn’t mean I believe all pregnant women are incapable to accomplishing great things — I’m not sure how you’re justifying that logical leap from the very little I said of that detail.

For the record: pregnant women are special. Lactating women are special. You will not find a more ardent feminist than me, so don’t go down that path. Women are people. We are human beings, with unique considerations. You would not ask a pregnant woman to run a marathon. It’s possible a pregnant woman could do it, but it is not a reasonable request. If a pregnant woman were to enter a marathon, with the intent of running it, and if she were to not make it to the finish line, what would you tell her? “You shouldn’t have done that; blah blah blah more discouragement…” Or would you recognize, “Hey, it was brave of you to try it! Kudos!” I favor the latter sentiment. We’re just of different minds, and we can agree to disagree.

I would never say “she cannot possibly be expected to pass an exam because she is in an advanced state of pregnancy and is somehow exempt from basic acts of thought and reasoning.” That would be stupid. What I’m saying is that it’s great that you passed tests while pregnant (I have too, though not career-determining standardized ones). What I’m saying is, it matters not whether she passed or not the first time around… (Though the little detail that she was eight months pregnant when she took it the first time did not slip by me…) What I’m saying is: give her some time to pump her tits. That’s what I’ve always said (you can check).

I’m not quite sure why this issue is still upsetting people. The ruling has been made. How is it harmful for you to give her pumping time which will now make it easier to give other lactating women pumping time when taking this test? That’s the part I think is misogynistic: that people are upset because of the precedent this sets. How would it hurt anyone to give lactating moms more break time to pump? If you haven’t been there, strapped to a pump multiple times a day out of necessity, you won’t know how heartless not allowing that accommodation sounds.

2) Again, not relevant to *lactation* (you did notice this was a breastfeeding blog, right?).

3) And never in the history of the USMLE has a person taken the test, failed it the first time, and then passed it a subsequent time? That’s what I thought.

4) I addressed this concern in this very post (did you even bother to read it?)

Your last concern is not rational. She already has her Ph.D. and went through medical school to get her M.D. I think if she can handle all that AND go through two pregnancies, I think she can figure out how to prioritize lab reports over pumping time. The nature of this exam is very different from a real-world situation where there’s a lot more leeway day-to-day. As an example, it’s very possible to pump in private while working on the report (the USMLE did NOT give her the option to pump in private while taking the test, which is understandable). Each pumping session can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes. It’s not like she’ll be stuck pumping all day long. Furthermore, she will stop lactating eventually, and this will all be a moot point. FYI.

1) She failed the same test in April.

2) The NBME already went out of their way to accommodate her. They are giving her twice the time to complete the test and a private testing room. Try taking a 9-hour intense exam with other people taking typing tests around you like the other 3000 of us did.

3) The USMLE is a STANDARDIZED test to assess a minimum competency to assure that you have enough base knowledge to practice medicine and not harm your patients. If you don’t pass, then the exam is doing what it was intended to. Preventing somebody without a core knowledge of medicine to practice medicine on people who’s lives depend on your knowledge.

4) This test can be taken anytime during your 3rd and 4th year of medical school. You schedule when you take the test. Students have 2 years to schedule it and fit it into their “mom” schedule. She chose to procrastinate until it left her in this predicament. Most students take it during the end of their 3rd year to avoid this exact problem. Failing and not being able to start a residency in July. Yes, most residency programs start in July, not November. Did MGH already accommodate her by pushing her start date back by 4 months?

So when the surgeon can’t get a pathology report on the margins of a cancer they are resecting and the patient dies on the table, who is going to be supporting her when her excuse is “I needed to breast feed at that moment, otherwise my engorged breast would hurt and I could get mastitis.”

And honestly, even if she doesn’t pass the second time around, I don’t see how it’s relevant to the issue of making reasonable accommodations for lactating women. I think what she did in pursuing the matter, in making people take lactating women seriously, was very brave and commendable.

I wish her the very best, and hope she passes, but I don’t think her not passing a second time will make or break the lactivist community. Winning the case, though, is VERY significant. I applaud her for taking this risk; it was enormous (the potential loss to her was huge), but the gains are enormous, too. I truly believe she did it for all lactating women, and I think she’s a hero for doing it. Brava, Sophie Currier!

Also, since she did not pass the medical exam the first time around - although she was 8 months pregnant and not lactating, is there any chance of passing the 2nd time? Maybe, with the extra 2 days she has been given for a one day test, plus the extra time given for her to lactate/pump her breasts.

In a way, I am glad this case has come to the attention of the public. Now, other people will get an awareness and learn how to get (necessary?) perks and help when going through the educational system.

Currier is a bad standardbearer. She’s too complicated, and people are getting distracted by the ADHD/dyslexia. On the other hand, this is a breastfeeding issue, which means that everybody is going to come out of the woodwork - and they are going to come out of it primed and pissy.

Yup, the discourse here is going to be, well, not discursive at all. People are yelling at other people who have their fingers in their ears, and are yelling back.

I don’t think Currier asked for much, and given the logistics of her situation, I think it’s reasonable. I also don’t think there’s a good reason not to grant it. She doesn’t fall under the ADA? Dang. Now, let’s carry that argument a little farther…peeing doesn’t fall under the ADA either, right? No, perhaps we should stop right there.

What’s happening here is that the board is traditionally stubborn on this issue, and they’ve never had a flashlight shone on them before. Currier isn’t new - she’s just louder than most. And, given that the argument has gone legal, I don’t think she’s got a good chance.

Breastfeeding is so badly understood, both by medical professionals and the public at large, that her chances of finding a knowledgeable judge are slim. I just hope her lawyers are really, really good.

Ms. Currie’s supporters can rant all they want abou,t “Ooh! A MAN would neeevvvvver be put in this situation!” but you know what? As women, we are called on to be BETTER than men. Ms. Currie is simply an example of entitlement gone too far.