Doctors are frequently accused of behaving as if they were God, but for the doctor to be all-knowing and all-caring is what patients faced with serious illness sometimes want.
In a keynote address, Prof Ann-Louise Kinmonth noted "the hero can easily become a villain as he falls short of expectations which are often raised by the medical profession itself". The professor of general practice at Cambridge University based her talk on ancient Irish literature to illustrate the cultural myths of heroes.
After reviewing parallels between the making of mythical heroes and modern doctors, Prof Kinmonth looked at two apparent paradoxes.
The first is between an aspiration for greater partnership between patients and their doctors and the concurrent wish for a personal medical heroism that doctors "will be there for us" when we need them.
The second paradox lies between the small returns of heroic technological medicine, where a small number of patients can benefit dramatically, compared to the potentially large returns of preventive medicine, where many people benefit, but without immediate effect.
While the broad strategy of preventive must fall to governments, "general practitioners have the potential to contribute significantly to the health of the populations registered with them".
She called for GPs to monitor the health of their patients, speaking out to government when trends are unacceptable and state action is needed.
The only "medical villainy" is not attempting to achieve these tasks, and failing to teach and practise the kind of medicine that can really make a difference, she concluded.