The First Patient

With a narrative constructed like an expedition into an unknown world, The First Patient challenges audiences to embrace their courage and curiosity as they follow first year medical students through gross anatomy – the dissection of the human body. The Mayo Clinic School of Medicine granted unprecedented access to veteran filmmaker Chip Duncan and his team as they explore a world that’s been exclusive to the medical community for centuries. The camera follows students, faculty and body donors on the emotional and dramatic journey inside the human body. The film provides dynamic insights into death, science and spirituality as students discover what it means to be a doctor … and what it means to be a human being.