Professional dynasties have dual potential. On the one hand, they are authoritative agents of the translation of professional knowledge and norms, and on the other, they are groups that monopolize resources.  In open societies, dynasties are institutions for greater inclusion in professional fields with specific training. In closed access, professional dynasties privatize statuses and resources. Based on the survey of non-dynastic staff of medical organizations and higher educational establishments of Russia, the author attempts to identify the essence of todays’ dynasties in medicine and education to determine whether they are a reputation resource or a source of tension. According to the findings, the main function of professional dynasties is to create monopolies despite the fact that non-dynastic group members still regard representatives of professional dynasties as carriers and translators of professional knowledge. Given the fact that in the perception of non-dynastic colleagues, the level of professionalism of representatives of dynasties is not higher than that of other workers, the latter’s career advantages are perceived by their colleagues as non-competitive which makes dynasticity a source of tension.