"Patch Adams" - A Humorously Serious Quiz

Answer: Hunter

Patch is given his preferred moniker by Arthur Mendelsen, the scientist he meets in the psychiatric hospital. Mendelsen gives Hunter this nickname when Hunter puts a patch on Arthur's coffee cup to stop it leaking.

Answer: 98

Throughout the film, Dean Walcott, Carin and his roommate Mitch question Patch's application to his studies. To be fair, Patch does spend an excessive amount of his time in medical school entertaining and mucking around with patients, especially children. However, he still manages to be constantly near the top of his class. Maybe he is just that good?

Answer: William. F. Thompson

We discover in this film that Mitch thinks very highly of himself and his ability to do well in medical school. Hence, he is constantly irked by Patch's ability to achieve better marks despite his appearing to do no study and his greater age than Mitch.

When Mitch informs Patch that he received the award, Patch dryly replies, "I once drew a picture of a rabbit that got me two gold stars". Beat that! By the way, Harold. S. Charlesworth (to my knowledge) doesn't exist.

Answer: Meat Packer's Convention

Patch's belief is that you can change a person's everyday response to human interaction by changing the conditions e.g. by acting abnormal. He also beleives that this is not necessarily a bad thing. As part of their experiment in just having fun and meeting new people, he and Truman enter a Meat Packer's Convention.

Here, Patch, despite having next to no knowledge of the meat industry, engages with the entire crowd and wins their support as a key speaker of the Convention (albeit improvising).

Answer: Rudy

Rudy's fear of squirrels (that were imaginary) was so severe that it restricted him from even going to the bathroom. Patch helps Rudy and begins his own healing process when he plays along with Rudy's fantasy and removes the imaginary squirrels (with an imaginary bazooka!)

Answer: Larry murders her

It is mentioned in the film that Larry has been unstable and has been a repeat-visitor to hospital after several attempts at self mutilation and suicide. Carin earlier expresses her apprehension and distrust toward Larry, but Patch tells her to be compassionate. Consequently, Patch blames himself when Larry murders Carin and then kills himself.

This leads to Patch becoming disillusioned with humanity and leaving his practice.

Answer: person

Patch's philosophy, in reality as well as the film, is one of humanitarian care for the person. His belief is that a doctor should offer friendship and support as well as medical care. His superiors regard this deeper association with patients as degrading and destabilising to their lofty position.

However, Patch's ability to use humour, friendship and trust to treat his patients never fails to improve their quality of life, regardless of their medical status.

Answer: The Gesundheit Institute

The Gesundheit Institute is located in rural West Virginia and was begun in 1980. The facilities continue to grow. Patch created this hospital (both in the movie and in reality) to help relieve the pressure on patients who could not afford expensive health insurance, or who were waiting too long for consultation in over-crowded hospitals. Its main aim is to heal suffering with humour.

Answer: excessive happiness

Patch's student record (which he steals from the head office, not the best way to avoid expulsion!) mentions that Dean Walcott finds Patch unfit for medical duty because Patch is "excessively happy". However, it is this liveliness that marks Patch as a great and effective doctor.

Answer: Nothing

True to both his humorous nature and his disregard for the stale, conformist attitudes of his superiors, Patch graduates wearing his robe, his mortarboard and his bare skin underneath.