Dead Med

At DeWitt Medical School orientation, Dean Bushnell welcomes the incoming class. Heather McKinley sits beside her unfriendly new roommate, Rachel Bingham, who reveals the school’s nickname is “Dead Med” because its students have a reputation for flunking out or dying. Rachel claims one student dies every year and mentions a drug overdose the previous year in the bathroom near the anatomy labs. A crack still marks the sink where the student’s head struck it. Anatomy professor Dr. Matt Conlon, who walks with a cane, gives an enthusiastic speech. Wellness counselor Dr. Patrice Winters then announces mandatory counseling sessions for all students. At lunch, a large student named Abe Kaufman accidentally steps on Heather’s foot and apologizes profusely.

That evening, Heather waits for her boyfriend Landon’s call. Rachel irritates her by mocking long-distance relationships and her plan to specialize in pediatrics. She suggests Heather might overdose on pills if Landon breaks up with her and theorizes that a professor is supplying drugs at the school. When Landon finally calls, Heather feels reassured.

On the first lab day, Heather hesitates to change into scrubs in the coed locker hallway. A handsome classmate changes in front of her and teases her for waiting. Flustered, she flees to the ladies’ room. While changing, she grips the sink and feels a large crack in the porcelain. She remembers Rachel’s story about the student who overdosed and died there.

Terrified, Heather enters the anatomy lab. Abe finds her and promises to catch her if she faints. At their assigned table, numbered 13, Abe accidentally splashes Heather with fluid from the cadaver. She rushes to wash up. Two more lab partners arrive: the handsome student from the lockers, Mason Howard, and a quiet student named Sasha. Abe and Mason are roommates. Heather’s roommate, Rachel, arrives as their fifth group member.

Mason suggests naming the cadaver Frank, but Rachel objects, calling it disrespectful. Mason asks for a scalpel, and Heather instinctively hands it to him. Rachel criticizes her for acting like Mason’s scrub nurse. Mason makes the first incision. To her surprise, Heather does not feel sick.

Medical school proves extremely difficult for Heather, and her relationship with Landon deteriorates. She fails the first two anatomy quizzes and barely earns a low pass on the third. Her lab partner, Sasha, is knowledgeable, but Heather’s attempts to befriend her fail. Overwhelmed, Heather wishes for something to help her stay awake and study longer. She considers and quickly dismisses the idea of taking drugs.

Heather researches the drug abuse claims about DeWitt online. She learns that the student who most recently overdosed, Darcie Peterson, was failing anatomy and died from a burst brain aneurysm related to amphetamine use.

At the library, Heather waits to study with Abe. Mason arrives first, displaying a perfect quiz score. He jokes that Heather will return with a shotgun if she fails and touches her hand, causing a spark. Abe arrives, annoyed to find Mason there. Mason leaves after chatting with Sasha. After dark, Abe insists on walking Heather to her car. A second-year student approaches them, awkwardly introduces himself to Abe, then leaves. Abe seems confused by the encounter.

During a lab session, Mason notes their cadaver’s heart is unusual as it shows no obvious causes of death. Abe joins them, hyper-caffeinated and shaking. When Heather asks if he knows where the school’s pills come from, Abe denies any knowledge.

Exam day arrives. Heather is exhausted after staying up all night studying. A classmate named Phil offers her a caffeine tablet, which she turns down. Mason reads the motto on Rachel’s T-shirt, which declares, “I am the doctor my mother wanted me to marry” (52).

During the practical exam, Heather panics when her lucky pen runs out of ink. Abe gives her a spare. Convinced she has failed, Heather runs to the restroom and collapses on the floor. She calls Landon for support, but he does not answer. Abe finds her in the hallway and comforts her, insisting he also found the test difficult. Relieved and validated, Heather agrees to go out for pizza and beer with him.

Days later, anxious for her grade, Heather goes to Dr. Matt Conlon’s office. Mason exits just as she arrives. Dr. Conlon reassures her that she passed and reveals that he dropped out of medical school before earning a doctorate in anatomy. He makes her promise not to tell other students he disclosed her grade and encourages her to have more confidence.

Heather calls Landon to share the news, and he ends the relationship over the phone. Devastated, she goes to Abe and Mason’s dorm, intending a rebound hookup with Mason. Mason is out, and Heather breaks down, telling Abe about the breakup. He comforts her and then kisses her. After the kiss, he apologizes and confesses his long-held feelings. Heather tells him to kiss her again.

Heather and Abe begin dating. He is romantic and attentive, consistently prioritizing her happiness. They study together constantly, and Heather’s academic performance improves significantly. After the second anatomy exam, she receives a score of 76, a solid pass, and is thrilled. Abe receives a 91, considered an honors grade. Heather is puzzled by his lack of elation.

After Thanksgiving break, Heather returns to school and goes to surprise Abe. Mason answers the door, looking extremely disheveled and possibly intoxicated or high. He tells her Abe is in the shower, suggests she join him, and leaves. Heather undresses in the bathroom and spots Abe’s scrubs on the floor, covered in still-damp blood stains. Abe opens the shower curtain and screams at her to leave. Afterward, Abe claims the blood came from a messy procedure at the clinic where he works. Heather notices dried blood caked under his fingernails and knows he is lying.

Abe sends flowers with a card asking for Heather’s forgiveness. Troubled, Heather goes to see wellness counselor Dr. Patrice Winters. She overhears Dr. Winters speaking flirtatiously with Dr. Conlon before he leaves. Heather tells Dr. Winters about the bloody scrubs and her belief that Abe is lying. Dr. Winters suggests Heather may be mistaken and that Abe’s explanation could be true.

To avoid Abe, Heather stops studying at the library. In the ladies’ room, she again looks at the cracked sink, reminding her that her life could be worse. Her classmate Victor enters and anxiously asks where Abe is. Victor’s desperation deepens Heather’s suspicion about what Abe is hiding.

The night before the final exam, Heather decides to confront Abe. She goes to his dorm, but no one is home. Entering the apartment, she finds stacks of papers on Abe’s desk that are not related to schoolwork. Heather then spots something that terrifies her.