Patch Adams Reflection

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Patch Adams is a movie about a person named Henry “Patch” Adams that self-committed himself to a mental hospital because he was struggling with depression. After seeing how people are treated he is inspired to go to medical school so he can treat patients better. While in the mental institution he notices abnormal behaviors in his roommate. While at medical school he experiments with conditioned social responses in people. He defines the norms in medical school by being one of the oldest people there and breaking the rules to go and see patients before his third year, and did not conform to the student body. After much mischief and struggle he finally graduates medical school and opens his own hospital called the Guesdentite Institute. A …show more content…

When Patch shows up to his dorm his roommate, Mitch, is in disbelief that he is actually attending medical school. At first his roommate asks if he can help him not expecting that he is looking at his new roommate. Once Patch introduces himself and says he is his roommate Mitch ask the question “Aren’t you too old to be starting medical school?” The way patch dresses also separates him and he does not conform to the other students. Patch dresses in a colorful Hawaiian shirt and a colorful tie while his other classmates dress for business. In most scenes in the medical school Patch stands out from the crowd. Patch also thinks in different ways than most of the students. When they are studying in the library Patch points out that they should interact with the patients more during the years throughout medical school while his classmates are just focusing on facts and classes and not patient care. His original ideas, different way he dresses, and the age gap makes patch stand out and not conform to the population of medical …show more content…

Patch might feel a desire to conform more to get approval of his classmates because of the age gap, but he does not. Patch dresses in Hawaiian shirts and acts abnormally to stand out in the medical school. Patch also acts differently he is less concerned about classes and facts and more concerned about patient care. Even though he does not study as much as the other students do, he is still at the top of the class. While the rest of the students are studying Patch is in the hospital talking to patients there. People like his roommate Mitch and Dean Walcott try and influence Patch to conform. Dean Walcott does this by telling him to stay away from the hospital and patients. Patch does not do this he continues to interact with patients and not conforming to the set rules of a first year medical student. Mitch always mentions that he shouldn’t be at the hospital and focusing on his studies more, but Patch does not change his behavior and doesn 't fall to normative social influence to be accepted by his classmates. Patch is very self-confident and he does not feel the need to

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