PATCH ADAMS

[Raptor]

I just (finally) seen Patch Adams the movie. I tell you this movie totally lives up to what everybody said...inspirational. This was certainly fuel for my burning desire to become a doctor. I know many of you all seen this movie and I just want to know your thoughts on it. How has it touched your life or refocused your desire of becoming a doctor? When (i confident all of us will get accepted to med school) you become a doctor, would you leave your practice, and work alongside Patch Adams and his cause? Everybody please respond to this (pre-DO, pre-MD, pre-whatever).
P.S.-I sure don't want to meet a arrogant buffon like the Dean of Admissions in the movie, what a A**hole !

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[SolidGold]

Be sure to read his books when you get a chance...I like his ideas about everything dealing with medical care and the whole system...I especially enjoyed "Gesundheit!"

 

[MSTP boy]

so true!

 

[none]

That man really annoys me. He pretty much single-handedly ended all campus graduation ceremonies at UCSD with the mooning. Now we get no graduation speakers whatsoever.

 

[KU Brendan]

Just as a side note, we had a professor during second year who came in the first day who looked EXACTLY like that dean on Patch Adams...my friend leans over to me and whispers "we're going to make doctors out of you" (the quote from the movie). Every time I see him now, that's all I can ever think about.

Much of med school is spent finding humor in stressful situations. No one else in the world will think you're funny, but your friends in med school will understand.

--Brendan--
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[WaitingImpatiently]

I think the movie was kind of stupid.

I mean, the idea of one guy going against the traditional medical school grain is nice and all, but there were too many exaggerations in the movie. Yes, many pre-meds and med students are cut-throat, but the movie made it seem like they're all hardcore gunners. And geez, are med school Deans really THAT rigid? Do you think you'll ever see a doctor refer to a patient as "this patient" IN FRONT OF THE PATEINT while talking to med students? Oy...

 

[Bikini Princess]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by WaitingImpatiently:
•Do you think you'll ever see a doctor refer to a patient as "this patient" IN FRONT OF THE PATEINT while talking to med students? Oy...•••••My understanding is that this is relatively common, and [surprisingly] usually not offensive to the patient. Some patients are proud to participate in grand rounds, and being called "patient" during grand rounds protects confidentiality too.

 

[Raptor]

I understand confidentiality of the patient but I feel that doctors (future doctors) should acknowledge their patients as human beings. They so caught up with the patients being science experiments. I mean that patient is not a cadaver, that person is alive, and wants to be treated like they are.
Looked exactly like the dean, now that is spooky. Patch Adams went to UCSD? Wow, now that is really mess up about not having a speaker at graduation. I have a solution. Why not invite Patch as the speaker since he was responsible .
Plus what is wrong with mooning <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> , I mean come on it's not like you will never seen a naked body before :wink: .
I haven't really met a hardcore, rambo premed before. I hope not also in medical school. Our main objective in going to med school is to help our patients, not compete with each other.

 

[Sweet Tea]

I've seen lots of examples where the doc refers to the patient as "the patient" in front of the patient...while not exactly a term of endearment, it's better than refering to the patient as "obstructed bowel"...

Back to the movie-- I loved "Patch Adams", mostly b/c I watched much of the filming-- it was filmed at UNC while I was at summer school, and the building with the legs sticking out of it was where I had my class! It made for an entertaining summer, and I got to meet Robin Williams and Patch Adams. Yes, the movie is a bit exaggerated and is designed to play with your emotions (esp. if you're a premed), but I loved the message to the story, and I loved Patch Adams's books... Gesundheit (spelling?) is good, as is "House Calls". But that's just my 2 cents.

 

[Raptor]

WELCOME GYNOS-HOW CAN I BE OF CERVIX <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> .

 

[Sweet Tea]

that's where i had my psych class <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

 

[empathMD]

Hi Everyone. This is my first time posting ... I have seen the movie Patch Adams when i was an undergrad with a pre-med organization I was part of (currently MS grad student & applying to med school). The movie may have exaggerated somethings...but to me the point was to inspire and motivate us (future doctors) not to lose focus of why we want to be physicians...sorry healers, and that is to help and serve our communities to live longer and healthier lives. yes there comes a time you need to detach yourself emotionally from your "patient", but as was stated quite a few times, the patient is a human being and should be treated as such. I must say i am pleased to see more people who understand the empathetic side medicine outside of the science and the money.

 

[Zoobaby]

So did his girlfriend really die, and in the manner depicted in the film? That part was so bloody tragic, and unexpected (I can usually see stuff like that coming.)

*weep weep*

 

[none]

Patch Adams didn't attend UCSD...he was the final all-campus graduation speaker.

 

[Jadeite]

the movie is great & inspirational, but I'm not sure if he even has a medical license anymore due to his antics. And mooning the graduation ceremony was probably not appropriate.

So what we should take from this is, question authority and treat the patient as a person, but don't go overboard, the administration is there for a purpose.

Jade~

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

Actually, I heard Patch Adams speak about a year ago at Birmingham Southern College. He is a great speaker, and he seemed to not like the movie that much. He commented that much of is was not true. He said he had a male friend who was killed, but no girlfriend. He also seemed to have a problem with the fact that "some people" got $20 mill for the movie, but didn't "donate a nickel" to his foundation. I think his ideas are good, but when you owe $150K plus in loans, it's kind of hard not to make any money. But we should take from him his enthusiasm for healing and ability to help people accept the things that are happening to them.

 

[Hero]

very interesting... so this movie is partially based on a true story. hmm

 

[Raptor]

What a rip off!!! Robin William made 20 mill from that movie and not one cent was gaven to the foundation. Gosh !!!! Society would rather pay a man 20 mill dollars for entertaining but then pay a man WAYYY less then that for safing people lives. Its not about the money but you guys see how twisted this is. Gave some of that money to the teachers, firefighter, nurses, police, EDUCATION, et cetera. That just pisses me off !!! I am going to ban my TV from my room now . Sorry for becoming belligerent.

 

[Hero]

Premeditate i feel you.

This damn story was supposed to be based on a true story. I feel played.

*Not buying Patch Adams DVD*

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

Hey y'all:

Calm down. I understand you're upset. The audience kind of gasped a little when he said that. Also, Patch wasn't an older student like Robin Williams is in the movie, he was the normal age when he went to school. I think the spirit of the movie is true, and a lot of what Patch said during his speech was like the character portrayed. Some people asked him about some of the events in the movie, but he really wouldn't elaborate. He did mention the male friend who was killed though, it wasn't his girlfriend.

OK, that's all I know. Guys, you just gotta consider its Hollywood. In fact, this new movie "Windtalkers" is pretty rotten history as well. We just did a story on it - a local man who worked with the code talkers said there is NO way any of them would be killed - much less ordered to do so. So just remember when you watch, the movies take liberties. Peace.

 

[TommyGunn04]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by none:
•That man really annoys me. He pretty much single-handedly ended all campus graduation ceremonies at UCSD with the mooning. Now we get no graduation speakers whatsoever.•••••Perhaps you should be more annoyed with those at UCSD who used Patch as an excuse to stop inviting speakers to graduation. They sound a lot like the doctors portrayed in the Patch Adams movie: full of themselves and lacking in a sense of humor.

 

[none]

Agreed. They were quite definitely looking for an excuse. And Maya Angelou's broken hip the year before does deserve some blame as well. It's just very hard not to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of a supposed professional whose behavior was so extremely juvenile.

 

[Tweetie_bird]

I had to stand in line for an hour on Christmas day to get tickets to Patch Adams, which was the first day it opened in the city.

I always tell people, that when I saw this movie, I felt naked...like the emotions and dreams I have of being a certain kind of physician, are portrayed in that movie. Yes, there are people who go out of their way to help patients...I have been there, and seen it happen. I don't want to toot my horn, but I myself have seen examples where I went out of the way to help a patient and something out of the blue occurred (much like that little lady with the noodle soup bowl..ok, so I didn't go *that* far). My point is, whether the movie is real or not...take it for what it's message is worth. Having somebody do it, or not do it is not the issue. If you feel like you're cheated into thinking that a certain story happened a certain way, and it didn't turn out to be that way, you make sure that you're the first to make that occur.

Overall, I felt the movie was very inspirational. I know that if I had the chance to, and had no familial obligations etc, I would be on par with him working in a clinic similar to his. Again, it's the message in the movie that counts, whether it's done or not is a whole different (and irrelevant) issue.

Tweetie