Real and fictitious characters in the collective imaginary

In the history of medicine, visibility does not always belong to those who have transformed science and the art of curing sick or ill. On the contrary: many of the figures that have defined the structural pillars of the medical system remain in the dark, while some fictional characters, or idealized versions of real doctors, shine with their own light in popular culture.This paradox reveals both about medicine and about ourselves: what do we wan…