Reports out of Mercy Hospital indicate that 4th year medical student Adam Hunter has blatantly plagiarized Michelle Obama’s 2008 democratic convention speech in a recent consult note during his Cardiology elective. The consult note, written in sprawling prose, references ideological constructs like “hope,” “values,” and “respect,” while attempting to develop a treatment plan for congestive heart failure.
Curiously, the note begins with a vague anecdote from Hunter’s own life:
“From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard to determine the cause of this patient’s chest pain.”
As the consult note continues, there is reason to suspect that the content may have originated from a speech given by the sitting First Lady of the United States and not by a 24 year old med student from Topeka, KS:
“You should know that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise to exercise and stop smoking 2 packs per day. As the daughter of a strong African American woman, I was taught that you treat doctors with respect. My medical school showed me values and morals in my history taking. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to my patients, and we need to pass those lessons on to the many patients to follow.
Hunter’s consult note continued on with a detailed description of his attempt at motivational interviewing:
“I informed the patient that he MUST lose weight because we want our patients in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to use an elliptical exercise machine to minimize joint pain.
The Cardiology fellow, Jason Schmiller, issued this statement in response to the allegations:
“In writing his beautiful consult note, Adam drew upon his life’s inspirations, and occasionally included fragments that reflected his own thinking. Adam’s 3rd year med school experience and love for Cardiology shone through in his consult note, which made it a success.”
