Sorry Ma’am, Seems You Are Coming Down With A Strong Case of Structural Violence: Analyzing "The Final Patient" Anonymous College

“The Final Patient”, by Rachel Naomi Remen, encapsulates a real-life story of a mother and her son eventually becoming her final patient as a pediatrician. The anecdote follows Dr. Remen in her concern for her coworker’s immediate jump-to-conclusion accusation that the mother should be charged with child abuse and neglect due to bruises on her underweight son. She brings attention to this story in order to focus on her realization of the rising demoralization among her doctoral peers and how this turpitude is affecting patient well being. Among this story, Dr. Remen’s shift in perspective is outlined and her diagnosis of the medical field clarifies through her description of her coworker. By focusing on one individual story, she effectively emphasizes the corruption in medicine through the interactions of a unprivileged patient and the doctor. Through a short of list of characters-- the doctor, the police, the mother, the son, and even herself -- in this piece, Remen highlights their roles significantly to reveal the “ranking” system present in today’s society -- the foundation of structural violence -- pressuring the readers to become aware of this issue, rather than turn the usual blind eye.

“The Final Patient” opens with...