Oh, dear god. At first I thought this was a "political correctness gone mad" story beloved of papers like the Daily Mail, but it's in the reputeable papers as well:

A medical student in Britain is suing the General Medical Council for discrimination because, as a dyslexic, she finds some of the tests she needs to pass to qualify as a doctor difficult.

I don't want to be treated by a dyslexic doctor | Stephen Pollard - Times Online

Full Coverage: Dyslexia student's legal bid

I can't be the only one who thinks that difficult tests don't discriminate, they weed out. Also, while I know some extremely intelligent dyslexics, I wouldn't want them treating me.

The policy of inclusion is an honorable one. However, we see this policy having these kinds of effects. It's time to reevalute the cost/benefit of the policy and how far inclusion needs to be applied.

Although criticizing inclusion is very un-PC, many would be surprised how it is viewed by faculty when they are speaking privately among themselves. God forbid any faculty say in within earshot of others, though.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

I'm dislexic myself, as some may have noticed from my spelling, and from what I've read of this story she isn't complaining about how hard the test is, but the type of test. Dislexics generally can't do multipul choice questions, we struggle with them and her arguement is a valid one-by all accounts shes done well on the practical and written tests (I belive she got a 1st on one) and multipul choice questions don't really come up in medicane very often.

Perhapse a more sensable answer would be to let her have a bit more time to do the test-as it does take a dislexic far longer to do an multipul choice question than others.

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I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. - Voltaire

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. - Art of War, Sun-Tzu, Chapter 2, Paragraph 6

"An eye for an eye makes everyone blind"-Gandi

You mean like:

Here are 5 organs, can you identify the kidney?

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But we could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling – if everybody was just inflating their tires? And getting regular tune-ups? You'd actually save just as much! -Barack the Moron

I can see where you're coming from, but to be honest, I wouldn't want a doctor who hadn't completed the same training and passed the same tests as the other doctors.

But, why not? Do you honestly believe that the practice of medicine is based upon the ability to score well on a multiple choice test?

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

For multiple choice tests, I completely agree. A bit more time does not give the students with needs any advantage over the others and puts minimal burden on those making the accomodations.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

Plus, multiple choice tests are the easiest form of tests out there. I mean, the answer is pretty much right in front of you and if you don't know it, you can usually figure it out through process of elimination.

If someone wants to take a harder type of test in place of a multiple choice test, more power to them.

I mean, seriously, has anyone ever heard someone say "Man, I really wish we had a written exam instead of this multiple choice one!"

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"Anyone that needs what they want, and doesn’t want what they need
I want nothing to do with
And to do what I want
And to do what I please
Is first on my to-do list"
-Gnarls Barkley, "Going On" lyrics

I think I should sue God....sometimes life is difficult.

That's impossible, there are no lawyers in heaven.

ZING!

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"Anyone that needs what they want, and doesn’t want what they need
I want nothing to do with
And to do what I want
And to do what I please
Is first on my to-do list"
-Gnarls Barkley, "Going On" lyrics

I much prefer written exams over multiple choice, but I'm very odd.

I much prefer grading multiple choice over written, but I'm very lazy, too.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

In this specific case, what happens when this woman needs to read a chart? Or perhaps assign the proper medication?

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There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.

*raises hand*

There are times that I prefer a written exam to multiple choice, but it depends on the class.

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"We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell." - Oscar Wilde

I'm not a fan of multipole choice tests, they are designed for dummies (students) by lazies (profs). Honestly I'm more concerned about all the other med-students, who pass such ridiculus, useless tests, than a about a student who asks for a harder (real) test.

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"bellum omnium contra omnes; atque in eo bello jus esse omnibus in omnia."
Thomas Hobbes

"Homo Homini Lupus"
Thomas Hobbes

I remember when we were taking our college entrance exams (SAT test) that there were any number of kids in my area (a wealthy one) that had their parents shell out a lot of money for the "Princeton Review" which was a course that taught students how to take the SAT test. I had neither the money nor the interest to take it myself, but some of my friends did and shared their "learning" with me. If you can eliminate two of the four answers guessing makes sense, go through and do the easy ones first, do the math problems by plugging the answers into the original equation and see which one works, and any other number of common sense inanities. That was enough of an interesting advantage that could be had to prevent the playing field from being leveled across economic strata.

There was also the interesting phenomenon of those with LD's being able to take the test un-timed. First off, I think there is a portion of the population that has learning disabilities, and that there are probably some sorts of accommodations that can be made. However, in rich areas the number of kids with learning disabilities magically increases. I'm not sure whether this is because there are a lot of kids that want to be perscribed legal speed that they can snort before going to parties, because there are a lot of angry, rich parents demanding an explanation other than "you're kid's just not very bright", because learning disabilities confer an automatic advantage in our equality obsessed society, or some combination of these factors. But, there it is. All sorts of kids got to swallow concentration pills, sit in rooms by themselves, and not worry about timing. That was 10 years ago - hell, maybe they just give them one out of every three answers now. Though I was and am ambivalent about that occurring, I recall thinking that it was unfair and absurd (though, I was in no position to complain as a night of heavy drinking before the test had been my own potential adjustment of test results )

But, I've thought about something recently. In the US, there is an enormous flap these days about athletes and performance enhancing drugs. Not only is it illegal (and apparently immoral), but it tarnishes the very nature of the game - it's unfair. In a competitive environment, they are taking drugs to gain an edge. And yet, nobody seems to think anything of loading their children up on prozac and adderall (basically, prescription cocaine), fudging a doctor's visit or bribing said doctor in order to secure un-timed test results, or generally securing any other unfair competitive advantage for said children. Of course, I don't much care, but these same children are probably later lectured on the immorality of steroid use, if they are athletes.

As the Onion has coined it in a new section - only in "Our Dumb World".

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson