The article portrays the social and ideological grounds that underpin selection of Brazil's medical elite. It introduces a conceptual discussion regarding relations of reciprocity within official Brazilian institutions, using the National Academy of Medicine as its empirical basis. Secondly, using as a reference some representative careers of members of this my at different moments of its existence, the article endeavors to characterize both a general standard of conception and social and political practices. Lastly, it explores the significance of school diplomas as a means of upward social mobility and for recruiting Brazil's elites.
medical elite; professional career; medical institutions; family origin; political power