Hippocrates (2014) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Benjamin panicked when questioned about the patient's death and admitted he couldn't perform the ECG due to a malfunctioning device. His supervisor told him to claim he did perform the test if asked. Fearing consequences and feeling inadequate, Benjamin went along with the lie, though it ultimately contributed to the strain in his relationship with Abdel.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Benjamin's anxiety and lack of confidence were evident when he struggled with the demands of the night shift and felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities of patient care.

• benjamin barois
• ecg test
• lying
• mister lemoine
• hospital mistake

At the disciplinary hearing, the senior staff considered Benjamin's youth and emotional distress as mitigating factors, deciding not to punish him. Abdel, however, received a formal misconduct notice that threatened his ability to complete his internship and validate his Algerian medical qualifications, reflecting the harsher treatment of foreign-trained doctors in the system.

Foreshadowing: The power dynamic between the French intern and the Algerian intern was evident from their first interactions, with Abdel often having to work harder to prove himself.

• abdel rezzak
• disciplinary hearing
• punishment
• internship
• medical discrimination

The Leonetti law is a French law that allows doctors to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from patients when continued treatment would only prolong suffering. In the film, the interns discuss applying this law to Madame Richard, whose family ultimately agrees to end her life under its provisions.

Foreshadowing: The earlier debate about removing Madame Richard's morphine pump foreshadowed the deeper end-of-life decision that would follow.

• leonetti law
• right to die
• end of life
• french law
• medical ethics

Benjamin was overwhelmed by guilt over his lie about the ECG, the strain in his friendship with Abdel, and the weight of the entire experience. After drinking, he returned to the hospital and confessed his failures in patient care, causing chaos in the wards before fleeing, his mental state had reached a breaking point.

Foreshadowing: Benjamin had shown signs of strain throughout the internship, particularly after the death of Monsieur Lemoine and the disciplinary hearing.

• benjamin breakdown
• alcohol
• emotional collapse
• hospital disruption
• guilt

Madame Richard lost consciousness late one night, and the medical team began resuscitation. When her family arrived, the interns discussed ending her life under the Leonetti law. The family accepted this decision, and life support was withdrawn, allowing her to die peacefully.

Foreshadowing: The earlier decision to remove her morphine pump to balance pain relief with medical risk indicated the team's difficult ethical discussions about her care.

• madame richard
• death
• resuscitation
• family decision
• cancer

After Monsieur Lemoine died, his widow held the hospital accountable for what she perceived as inadequate care. The lawsuit was filed despite the ambiguity around whether the ECG would have changed the outcome, highlighting the hospital's vulnerability to malpractice claims.

Foreshadowing: Benjamin's lie about performing the ECG and his admission that he couldn't diagnose the patient properly planted the seeds for the legal action.

• lawsuit
• malpractice
• sue
• hospital
• patient family

When speaking to the widow, Benjamin claimed that Abdel had been responsible for her husband's care, trying to deflect from his own inability to perform the ECG. This lie further damaged his relationship with Abdel, who had trusted him.

Foreshadowing: Their tense partnership from the beginning showed underlying tensions about responsibility and credit in their work.

• lie
• widow
• abdel
• blame
• patient care

Yes, after the hospital staff rallied to support him and successfully lobbied to have his misconduct sanction lifted, Abdel was able to continue practicing. He transferred to the neurology service, where he regained his passion for medicine and determination to build his career in France.

Foreshadowing: The staff's collective effort to defend Abdel showed that had the solidarity developed despite the earlier tensions.

• abdel internship
• neurology
• career
• algerian doctor
• continuing practice

After his emotional breakdown and disruption of the hospital wards, Benjamin fled the premises in a state of distress. As he was leaving the hospital grounds, he was struck by a truck, resulting in physical injuries that required recovery time.

Foreshadowing: This accident occurred immediately following his night of confession and chaos, representing the culmination of his emotional unraveling.

• truck accident
• benjamin injury
• hospital exit
• physical harm

The friendship strained primarily due to Benjamin's lie about the ECG test and his claim to Madame Lemoine that Abdel had handled the care. Additionally, the disciplinary hearing's unequal outcomes, Benjamin escaping punishment while Abdel faced serious consequences, created further tension between them.

Foreshadowing: From their first meeting, the two interns had a tense dynamic, with competing expectations and different backgrounds creating friction.

• friendship rift
• conflict
• abdel benjamin
• tension
• partnership

While Abdel pushed for the morphine pump to ease Madame Richard's pain from metastatic cancer, concerns about her overall viability and appetite led Dr. Denormandy to recommend removing it. The team aimed to balance pain relief with medical risk, making a difficult ethical decision about her treatment.

Foreshadowing: This earlier decision about morphine foreshadowed the more critical end-of-life discussion that would follow when her condition worsened.

• morphine pump
• cancer pain
• treatment decision
• viability
• medical ethics

Benjamin felt personally responsible because he couldn't perform the ECG due to a malfunctioning device, leaving uncertainty about whether a proper diagnosis could have saved him. The death highlighted the fragile line between hope and tragedy in medical practice, challenging Benjamin's idealistic expectations.

Foreshadowing: The night shift with the homeless patient was Benjamin's first major encounter with the limitations of medical intervention.

• patient death
• responsibility
• ecg
• homeless
• medical failure