What Do People think about Patch Adams?

[MedicineNutt]

I was having a nice conversation with my biology professor about career choices and my decision of becoming a doctor. He specifically instructed me to rent the movie "Patch Adams." Dear Jesus, this movie is incredible!!! I just finished watching this movie and i now concretely realize the other aspect of choosing medicine...im greatly influenced by Patch Adam's motivation to help people by having fun rather than treat/boss around people...if anyone wants to know if their vocation is to become a doctor please watch "Patch Adams"...this is one of the greatest movies ever made

Please share your ideas along with any other movies you suggest watching before planning a career in medicine

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[potato51]

I think you should totally write about this in your personal statement.

 

[Risa]

My mentor (who's been on an adcom) was helping me brainstorm for my secondaries, and one of the questions was "if you could have dinner with one influential figure in medicine, who would it be and why?" i suggested Patch Adams, and he said "you and every other med school applicant! it's gonna be a crowded table" . Too bad though, because really, Patch Adams is neato.

 

[MollyMalone]

This is interesting... there's been a ton of threads on books to read but I'm not sure that I remember one about movies.

I'd recommend Cocoon, especially for those who don't have much experience with the elderly.

I'll have to think about others.

 

[MedicineNutt]

This is interesting... there's been a ton of threads on books to read but I'm not sure that I remember one about movies.

I'd recommend Cocoon, especially for those who don't have much experience with the elderly.

I'll have to think about others.

movie you listed sounds familiar...i'll rent it tonight and watch it later this week!! thanks...if you can think of more that'll be cool

 

[gdbaby]

If you are picking SPECIFICALLY Robin Williams films about medicine may I suggest "Awakenings."

Last time i did stand-up, the emcee (a friend of mine) announced me as "the future Patch Adams." i am not sure it was a compliment.

 

[Bluntman]

Hmmm...never watched Patch Adams before. Actually, I don't even know what the hell it's about other than "being a doctor". I think this thread is giving me just enough reason to go out and rent it though. It better be good or I'm coming after every one of you!

 

[MedicineNutt]

Hmmm...never watched Patch Adams before. Actually, I don't even know what the hell it's about other than "being a doctor". I think this thread is giving me just enough reason to go out and rent it though. It better be good or I'm coming after every one of you!

trust me...it's an incredible movie...should be a prerequisite for primary care schools no kidding

 

[TypeA]

Patch Adams ROCKS! It is a definite MUST SEE!

As far as other movies, we should start a list of bad, low budget med movies that are totally off. There are plenty of those! Nothing compares to Patch! The guy rocks!

 

[MedicineNutt]

Patch Adams ROCKS! It is a definite MUST SEE!

As far as other movies, we should start a list of bad, low budget med movies that are totally off. There are plenty of those! Nothing compares to Patch! The guy rocks!

I 2nd this!!

 

[potato51]

Patch Adams ROCKS! It is a definite MUST SEE!

As far as other movies, we should start a list of bad, low budget med movies that are totally off. There are plenty of those! Nothing compares to Patch! The guy rocks!

let's not get too crazy before we put Patch into Chuck territory.

 

[Severus]

I must be like the spawn of Satan, because I found Patch Adams --well, the movie version at least -- dreadfully annoying.

 

[potato51]

I must be like the spawn of Satan, because I found Patch Adams --well, the movie version at least -- dreadfully annoying.

ditto. Even taking into account my revulsion for anything Robin Williams, the movie was complete drivel.

 

[SuzieQ3417]

Hmmm...I only trust one source when it comes to renting movies, and that is the beloved www.rottentomatoes.com. I either rent them with a high rating (=awesome) or a really low rating (=awesomely bad). Patch Adams got 26% and is in the rotten category, though not nearly low enough for me to consider awesomely bad and still worthy of rental.

 

[modelslashactor]

for what it's worth, I met the real Patch Adams last year and he's a pretty amazing guy, probably the smartest and most humanistic person I've ever met. his approach toward medicine is extremely holistic and he has a lot of radical views, but at the same time he makes a lot of good points on how to give care effectively while avoiding a lot of the problems facing medicine today. you can read one of his books to learn a little more about his philosophies (the movie is not great portrayal of him) or you can write him a letter, he claims to have answered every one he's received.

and also, write an angry letter to whoever made the movie. his royalty for the movie was supposed to be that they would build a new hospital for him, but it has yet to happen

 

[TypeA]

and also, write an angry letter to whoever made the movie. his royalty for the movie was supposed to be that they would build a new hospital for him, but it has yet to happen

NO way! What the heck? I do remember that at the end of the movie it said that the hospital was in the process of being built...but I had no idea that that was the royalty agreement! What sick freaks! You know they weren't hurting for $$$ when the film came out. Dadgum it. I hate hearing stuff like that. Makes me glad I got out of media.

 

[MedicineNutt]

for what it's worth, I met the real Patch Adams last year and he's a pretty amazing guy, probably the smartest and most humanistic person I've ever met. his approach toward medicine is extremely holistic and he has a lot of radical views, but at the same time he makes a lot of good points on how to give care effectively while avoiding a lot of the problems facing medicine today. you can read one of his books to learn a little more about his philosophies (the movie is not great portrayal of him) or you can write him a letter, he claims to have answered every one he's received.

and also, write an angry letter to whoever made the movie. his royalty for the movie was supposed to be that they would build a new hospital for him, but it has yet to happen

wow now that makes me feel bad...but yea some things on the movie seemed questionable to me...it's still a good movie regardless

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

If you are picking SPECIFICALLY Robin Williams films about medicine may I suggest "Awakenings."

i met the real oliver sacks, HE ROCKS!

 

[Duchess]

Patch Adams is a wonderful movie. A real reminder as to why we have decided to pursue a career in medicine (well, most of us anyways).

 

[potato51]

i met the real oliver sacks, HE ROCKS!

I met Oliver Sacks years ago. Of course, our meeting consisted only of a handshake, but he spoke at my campus and I went out and rented Awakenings the same night.

 

[medhacker]

You guys should really, really, really check with the sources about that royalty issue and get all the details before you send any hate mail to anyone. It would be not cool to look dumb if what you hear on a web-forum is not exactly...the truth, my 20 pesos

 

[JSK44]

Best part of Patch Adams (or at least most memorable!): entrance to gynecology convention!!

 

[Shredder]

patch adams was unprofessional and led to the death of the blonde, it was all his fault. id much prefer his prick friend as a doc. in a serious situation most of you would too, but the romanticism of the jolly, joking doc has its allure, rational or not. its like having santa claus as a doc. jolliness only cures hypochondriacs, and patch should be a hypochondriologist

 

[Vox Animo]

If your interested in what he is trying to accomplish, just look up his website. It 's interesting. The movie was only as accurate as hollywood ever is. He has been trying to raise money for his hospital for over 30 years. He seems to be an amazing person.

 

[Camel]

Patch Adams ROCKS! It is a definite MUST SEE!

As far as other movies, we should start a list of bad, low budget med movies that are totally off. There are plenty of those! Nothing compares to Patch! The guy rocks!

Third this.

 

[baylormed]

let's not get too crazy before we put Patch into Chuck territory.

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!
Chuck's awesomeness can never be surpassed.

 

[Daredevil]

I met Patch Adams in person when he went to speak at my college several years ago. He was a very nice guy, with some political leaning to the left. He said the movie wasn't entirely accurate and he didn't receive much money from it.

I even got him to autograph one of his books I bought there.

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

TimmyWonderD.... I"m jealous... I'm in love with oliver sacks.... i want to be him.... or at least have his babies. Some people feel a calling to specialize in orthopedic surgery, I have a calling to specialize in writing about medicine and my future specialty Oliver Sacks style. He's my role model *swoons*

 

[MDCali]

Funny, I decided to watch that movie today. It's quite good.

 

[thinknofu3]

A couple of years ago I went to an AMSA regional conference in Chicago (at Rush) and their keynote speaker was this woman who was part of Patch Adams' group...and she was totally insane. I'll preference these statements by saying that I'm pretty liberal - but the stuff she was saying about how institutional medicine was wrong and how she would fix the healthcare system was completely ridiculous and not at all grounded in reality. Her theories (which she said were the goals of her "group", which included Patch Adams) belonged more in a socialist/communist setting than America. But that's just my 2 cents.

 

[FDoRoML]

Patch's unorthodox appearance and mannerism can sometimes cause people to be uncomfortable. And physicians are generally a conservative lot (at least on the East Coast!). So, he is this tall man with long gray hair dyed funny colors (he had waist-length hair, one half was blue and one half was green, when I met him). He likes to touch people, to hug them, to be in contact with them when he is talking to them. He's idealistic and has done a LOT of good things around the world.

While I doubt his model of medicine will ever work in America (what do you mean I will only make enough to eat and sleep in a plywood house? I'm a doctor, for God's sake!), it is probably a model many of us concerned about humanism in medicine consider wonderful. He is one end of an extreme view and plan... and I think if US medicine meets him somewhere in the middle, it'll be a heck of an improvement to what we have now.

Anyway, I admire him for what he is and that he lives what he preaches. There's nothing fake or insane about the man. And it's actually been proven that behavioral state has a large impact on healing-- so to the person who said humor (clowning) has no healing effects, I think the literature would prove otherwise. Heck, visits by animals and music played by the bedside seems to improve healing time and general emotional well-being in patients. Nothing wrong with that, surely!

The movie is not one of Robin Williams' best, and not an accurate representation of Patch or most of the events in his life (no, she never got murdered by a mentally unstable patient in real life). It shows a lot of his clowning and compassion, but none of the things he emphasizes the most in his talks. And yep, they did kind of stiff him with the whole royalty thing but he just shrugs it off as Hollywood and goes on with his mission.