^^^ Tiberius, thank you for this comprehensive answer!
As for The Doctor, I can't take him seriously. He doesn't exists, he is just an program. For example, Data is also a set of algorithms, but he has very complex physical body, that can be destroyed, Data can die. The Doctor has no value from this point of view.
What season are you up to?
He becomes MUCH different as the show goes on.
Season 1 EMH and Season 7 EMH are entirely different on many levels.