Famous Spanish Physicians

Maria Belon is a Spanish motivational speaker and physician. She achieved popularity after surviving the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004. Belón was badly injured and nearly died. The story inspired the 2012 disaster drama film The Impossible, in which Maria Belon was played by Naomi Watts. Belon has also appeared in many TV shows.

While he apprenticed as a cobbler and a barber in childhood, Santiago Ramón y Cajal later took up medicine inspired by his father, a professor of anatomy. Cajal’s study of the microscopic structure of the human brain later formed the basis of neuroscience and earned him a Nobel Prize.

Al-Zahrawi was an Arab Andalusian chemist, surgeon, and physician. Dubbed the father of modern surgery, Al-Zahrawi is widely regarded as the greatest surgeon of the Middle Ages. Al-Zahrawi was the first surgeon to use catgut for stitches and his pioneering contributions had an enormous effect in the West and East. Some of his discoveries are part of modern medical sciences.

Michael Servetus was a Spanish physician, Renaissance humanist, cartographer, and theologian. In 1553, he published a book titled Christianismi Restitutio in which he described the function of pulmonary circulation, becoming the first European to describe it accurately. A polymath, Michael Servetus was well-versed in many fields, such as mathematics, geography, meteorology, astronomy, human anatomy, pharmacology, medicine, poetry, jurisprudence, and translation.

Nobel Prize-winning Spanish biochemist Severo Ochoa is remembered for his discovery of the enzyme polynucleotide phosphorylase and his subsequent success in synthesizing RNA. His research took him to top institutes such as the universities of Oxford and Heidelberg. He had also taught at the New York University.

Spanish Jewish poet, physician, and philosopher Judah Halevi is remembered for his significant contributions to the development of Hebrew poetry. Best known for Sefer ha-Kuzari and his poems in Dīwān, he was greatly influenced by Arabian literature. His travels eventually took him to Egypt, where he died.

José Manuel Rodriguez Delgado was a Spanish scientist, psychiatrist, and educator. He is best remembered for his association with the Yale University, where he worked as a professor of neurophysiology. José Manuel Rodríguez Delgado is also remembered for his research on mind control with the help of electrical stimulation of the brain.

Ibn Zuhr was an Arab poet, physician, and surgeon. The most respected physician of his time, Ibn Zuhr is credited with performing the first experimental tracheotomy. His best known literary work, Book of Simplification Concerning Therapeutics and Diet, was influential to the development of surgery.

Spanish Basque writer Pío Baroja was a qualified doctor and practiced medicine in northern Spain for a few years before returning to Madrid to manage his family bakery. Part of the Generation of ’98, he penned iconic works such as the series Memoirs of a Man of Action.

Hasdai ibn Shaprut was a Jewish scholar, diplomat, physician, and patron of science. He served as a personal physician to Abd-ar-Rahman III and went on to become the latter's faithful counselor and confidant. Hasdai ibn Shaprut became an influential figure in the court of Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III and had a say in the matters of foreign affairs.

María Jesús Montero is a Spanish politician and hospital administrator. Since 2018, she has been serving as the Minister of Finance and Civil Service. She also served as the Spokesperson of the Government from 2020 to 2021. An important political figure, María Jesús Montero served as the Regional Minister of Finance and Public Administrations of Andalusia from 2013 to 2018.

Gregorio Marañón was a Spanish scientist, physician, writer, historian, and philosopher. He is widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most brilliant Spanish intellectuals. In order to honor his work and contributions, the Gregorio Marañón Foundation was founded on 11 November 1988.

Ignacio Ponseti was a Spanish-American orthopedist. He is remembered for his service during the Spanish Civil War, where he treated wounded soldiers for three years as a medic. After the war, Ponseti joined the University of Iowa, where he came up with the Ponseti Method, a pioneering treatment for the clubfoot defect; the treatment achieved popularity as it was non-surgical.

Judah ben Saul ibn Tibbon was a French-Spanish physician and translator. Many among his extant translated works include the works of famous philosophers like Bahya ibn Paquda, Saadia, Solomon ibn Gabirol, and Judah ha-Levi into Hebrew. Although he was born in Spain, Judah ben Saul ibn Tibbon spent much of his career in France, where he died in 1190.   

One of most significant Hebrew grammarians of the 11th century, Jonah ibn Janah was initially a physician but later became a pioneer in the study of the Hebrew syntax. He is remembered for his works al-Mustalha and Kitāb at-tanqiḥ, and for his exegesis of religious texts.

Diego de Torres Villarroel was a Spanish poet, writer, doctor, dramatist, mathematician, professor, and priest. He achieved popularity as a writer and he wrote on many subjects. Although he wrote numerous poems and plays, Diego de Torres Villarroel is best remembered for his autobiography titled Vida, ascendencia, nacimiento, crianza y aventuras del Doctor Don Diego de Torres Villarroel.

Profiat Duran was a Jewish philosopher, physician, apologist, controversialist, and grammarian in the 14th century. He is best remembered for his satiric epistle Al Tehi Ka-Aboteka. Profiat Duran was also a historian. One of his lost works titled Zikron ha-Shemadot gave a detailed history of Jewish martyrs. This work was used by Judah ibn Verga and Solomon Usque.

Luis Martín-Santos was a Spanish psychiatrist and writer. He is best remembered for his novel Tiempo de Silencio, which is widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most prominent Spanish novels. The novel is also credited with inspiring a film, which was directed by Vicente Aranda.

Mercedes Pascual is a Uruguayan academic and theoretical ecologist. She is best known for her association with the University of Chicago, where she serves as a professor of Ecology and Evolution. She also leads a laboratory at the University of Chicago. Over the course of her career, Mercedes Pascual has won several prestigious awards, including the Robert H. MacArthur Award.