Extended Time Denied for Nursing Mom

Does It Make Sense?
An article from the Associated Press highlighted the arbitrary decision-making that is made regarding accommodations. A woman who is completing an MD-Ph.D. program at Harvard University while giving birth to two children in the past two years requested a 60 minute period to nurse her 4 month old baby. According to the Associated Press, The National Board of Medical Examiners "won't give Currier the extra time she says she needs," indicating that other women can complete nursing in 45 minutes. Dr. Lawrence, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, indicated that the Medical Examiner Board decision is too rigid, stating "You would hope that everyone in the medical profession had an appreciation for the tremendous importance of breast-feeding one's infant." (See http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070912/ap_on_re_us/breast_feeding_dispute_2 for full article.)

Clearly this woman has demonstrated that she is a hard-working, achievement oriented individual who will become an outstanding doctor. She has overcome hurdles presented by disabilities of dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to complete medical school as well as a PhD. program and will complete a residency at Massachusetts General Hospital if she passes the exam. To deny her an accommodation of 15 additional minutes of break time to complete nursing a 4 month old infant "because it's not fair to others" reflects a concrete misunderstanding of the abstract concept of fairness. According to Rick Lavoie, "Being fair doesn't mean giving everyone the same thing, being fair is giving everyone what he or she needs."