Were you one of the few people aside from me that didn't like Patch Adams? Half the things in the movie that the medical school weren't allowing Dr. Adams to do make complete sense if you actually understand medicine. Students don't see patients until 3rd year because until that point the students don't have the training nor the immunizations, and no, scaring the crap out of a guy in the ICU to cheer him up ain't exactly thoughtful medicine. Stealing medical supplies from a hospital isn't exactly taking from the rich and giving to the poor, and a reason why there's a bunch of regulations to be done before a health provider can practice is to make sure you don't get a sociopathic whacko working in your clinic that can end up killing your girlfriend.
Friends of mine have read Patch Adams' books, and they told me the books explain it much better than the movie does, and that the latter had to be dumbed-down for the masses. I'm not knocking Patch Adams, I'm saying I couldn't get into the movie about him.
Of course, do I agree with with the message that medicine should be made as humane as possible, but for me, and I'm not part of the masses, the movie didn't appeal. Hawkeye from M*A*S*H is a like-spirited doctor where everything presented was something done smartly enough for me not to fidget every few minutes while I'm watching.
