Good Medicine

“A smile and a memory of a light moment can go a long way in dark times,” says Dr. Jan Adams, sporting her clown nose and hat. The Shakopee, Minn., doctor volunteers with an international medical relief group founded by the subject of the film “Patch Adams.” The group’s members dress as clowns when treating children in Russia and elsewhere. Adams is a friend of the real Patch Adams, but the two are not related.