Sanjay Gupta is a doctor on TV, but should he be surgeon general?(Scott Gries/Getty Images)The news that the television doctor and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta is being considered for the post of U.S. surgeon general has prompted a mixed reaction on health and science blogs and other sites. Here’s a sampling:
KevinMD.com: The doctor blogger calls it a “bold pick” but asks whether “this a case of style over substance.”
THDblog: The Technology, Health and Development blog says, “Public health needs a rock star.”
Terra Sigillata: Science blogger Abel notes that “literally millions of Americans already trust him for health care information,” adding that “Gupta has also been on-site for several of the most challenging medical emergencies the U.S. has faced in recent years, most significantly the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.” But fellow blogger Jake at Pure Pedantry says Dr. Gupta has waffled on issues like vaccines and autism under the guise of journalistic fairness — something he can’t do as surgeon general.
Center for Science in the Public Interest: Director Michael Jacobson says: “It has been a long time since we’ve had a surgeon general who had a major national impact, such as Dr. C. Everett Koop, who took on the tobacco industry. Certainly no one could accuse any surgeon general in the last eight years of tackling tough health problems.”
GetBetterHealth.com: Dr. Val says, “I don’t think he has the gravitas or appropriate experience for the role of Surgeon General of the United States.” She cites an unidentified source close to the nomination proceedings who says, “It will be difficult for Gupta to be taken seriously by peers at the Pentagon and State Department.”
Gawker.com: The gossip site points out that Dr. Gupta was voted one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive in 2003. “Obviously Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, is the big loser here,” says Gawker.
According to Dr. Gupta’s bio provided by CNN, he regularly performs surgery at Emory University Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital, where he serves as associate chief of neurosurgery. Before joining CNN, Gupta was a fellow in neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee’s Semmes-Murphy clinic, and before that, the University of Michigan Medical Center. In 1997, he was chosen as a White House Fellow — one of only 15 fellows appointed.
What do you think of Dr. Gupta’s credentials to become surgeon general?
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according to surgeongeneral.gov, “The Surgeon General serves as America’s chief health educator by providing Americans the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.”
“chief health educator” sounds like a perfectly appropriate role for dr. gupta to play; he’s already playing that role for millions of cnn and cbs viewers today. can anyone who criticized his pick even name the current surgeon general?
the only crime here is that obama didn’t pick dr. oz.
(and let’s thank g-d he didn’t pick nancy snyderman)
— jdwFROM TPP — I’m a Dr. Oz fan as well. If we are talking other credible picks from the doctor-journalist pool, I’m surprised Atul Gawande hasn’t been discussed. He’s a great communicator and director of the World Health Organization’s Global Patient Safety Challenge.
Sanjay Gupta is a poor choice for surgeon general as others have noted here. The only reason he’s been chosen is for knowing his way around a TV camera. That’s it. He’s a neurosurgeon which means his expertise is limited to what’s inside your cranium. He’s not a GP, he’s not a pediatrician, he’s not an OB/GYN.
He is hired to be the public face for whatever health care program Obama comes up with.
This presidency is shaping up to be PR driven, not policy driven. It sure isn’t process driven, which the transition team keeps insisting.
— cab91Surprised this hasn’t been mentioned here yet, but while doing a “fact check” of Michael Moore’s Sicko, Dr. Gupta made it very clear that he opposes universal health care because it puts the health care in the hands of the government. There was a subsequent debate between Moore and Gupta on Larry King that is unambiguous:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR2U_SAWHdQ
Dr. Gupta was going to big the biggest PR challenge that the Obama health care plan was going to have to overcome. His reporting on the plan would have been heavily bias towards insurance companies and presented as independent.
As part of this appointment he will probably be singing the Obama plan’s praises, and certainly not criticizing it. This is the most inspired domestic policy move that the Obama transition has made to date.
— Michael WI found that he was not holding up to M. Moore in a debate that he had some time ago. It showed that Dr. Gupta is not good at dealing with controversial issues.
— MargaretOf course, nobody is perfect, so I do believe Dr. Gupta has more pro´s than con´s.
Funny, that nobody mentions his ethnic background … would that be the case if we were talking about a Hispanic or an AfricanAmerican?
As someone who shares the same name as Dr. Gupta, I feel uniquely qualified to offer an opinion on his appointment as Surgeon General.
While it is true that Dr. Gupta is not a health care policy wonk in the tradition of some of his predecessors (should he accept the position, of course), he brings exceptional name recognition and an ability to connect, credibly I might add, with the American public.
What is puzzling to me is that the office of Surgeon General, begging all of your pardon, seems beneath his sizeable public accomplishments to date. In my view, I think he will be less visible and potentially less effective as a commentator on public health. After all, commanding the media versus being at their mercy are two entirely different worlds.
In my own self interest, I would heartily recommend that Dr. Gupta pass on the offer and continue his present role. If I have to endure being mistaken for the man on a daily basis, I would much rather be accused of being “that guy” on CNN than as the Surgeon General of the United States.
Gobama!
-Sanjay Gupta
— Sanjay GuptaI think people are asking the wrong questions. As hinted by the blog statement on Gupta’s “waffling”, what people should be asking if a journalist with questionable integrity or, at the least, incompetence that tends to favor the American healthcare industry, is someone they want as Surgeon General of the United States.
For example, the following link shows Gupta caught in either a lie or gross incompetence as a journalist: http://mediamatters.org/items/200707120001?f=h_latest
If you watched the entire segment, there are several other lies or incompetencies that end up favoring American healthcare industry. Since his segment is sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies, it makes you wonder.
We should be asking questions about what he has shown of his integrity on camera, not about his credentials. The biggest qualification to being Surgeon General should be integrity.
— JebThe Surgeon General position has been open for 2 years. The previous nominee had strong credentials in childhood obesity issues and supervisory experience in major hospital and military settings. He was whacked because he believed homosexual behaviors were morally wrong and said so as a layman in church settings, even though there was no evidence of any prejudicial or unprofessional treatment of gays or lesbians either as patients or colleagues. So Sanjay will be confirmed; a fine surgeon, a fine communicator, a good guy…and no interest by either political party as to his religion or possible guilt over believing what that religion teaches. I hope he’s confirmed.
— b. phillipeWow, there’s a lot of hostility toward the man solely because he’s on television. I imagine he’s quite knowledgeable in the medical field. Perhaps he’s successful because he’s good, and perhaps he’s on TV because he actually cares about the public’s health.
No, it’s best to be unremittingly cynical and assume no one on television has a legitimate, let alone admirable, intention.
— NickNo one cares or even listens to the Surgeon General out in the real world. Gupta is a recognizable character on a major news network. This was a smart move by Obama. Why not get someone who already has skill in front of the camera and has capital in terms of public recognition? You old hacks have no vision. Get with the program!
— Mike#11 Dr. Koop is a pediatric surgeon.
— jackGupta is an inspired choice. Obviously, he is a a great communicator and can help deliver Obama’s message on health care reform and educate Americans about smoking and obesity. But he is also a first-rate physician, currently treating patients, not just a Washington bureaucrat or party hack. Also, he has credibility on health care reform, having taken on Michael Moore’s “Sicko” movie as an objective journalist. I voted for McCain, but Obama is brilliant.
— Joe RicherNancy Grace for Attorney General!
— JDHopefully because of his celebrity cache he can tackle the plague of inadequate Sex Ed in the school system. Maybe advocating masturbation as an alternative to intercourse, or even information students about the importance of using condoms when the inevitability of sex occurs. Abstinence only training does nothing. 25% of all teenagers have an STD before they graduate high school. Something needs to be done!
— WilliamIf he will take on the pharmaceutical industry like Koop took on the tobacco industry, I’m all for him.
— AndyI am a public health professional and my first reaction is that this is a good choice. The Surgeon General (as I understand the role) is not the Minister of Health or the head of Health and Human Services, he/she is primarily a spokesperson and communicator for health issues. For this reason it makes sense to have someone already well known in the position.
— KCNHe is a great choice.
— ILL docI wonder what he will look like with that pirate beard?
The fact that Dr. Gupta has done brain surgery on someone does not qualify him to be the chief physician for the nation. If, perhaps, we had an epidemic of neurosurgical disease in the US, then he might be qualified. But, we don’t. Our problems are not those that are regularly studied by neurosurgeons.
Perhaps someone who is better acquainted with the major health issues of our time (as opposed to those health issues that make for better ratings on CNN) would be better qualified?
Frankly, this is an insult to the many physicians who have devoted their careers to developing a sophisticated and deep understanding of health and health care in the US.
It is the first truly tone-deaf potential appointment by the Obama team.
— Fred G, Iowa City, IA, USAI would like to know what Michael Moore thinks. I seem to remember Dr. Gupta being unfairly critical of a film that brought to people’s attention the real need for real healthcare reform. Let’s hope he’s not that timid when he’s in a position to make a difference.
— KarenWell Dr if you really want to take on a challenge and change the health of this country then why not go after the largest problem facing the world today? AUTO EXHAUST is the most deadliest and the most harmful element in society today and it is the major cause most of our environmental problems, so if you really want to be effective then try the obvious,… or just keep doing the same thing all the rest have done and bury yourself in your safe little office and collect you check.
— Scott AllisonMAKE AUTOS PAY FOR THIER CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY OR DON’T!
#32 If Gupta did indeed waffle on the the vaccine/autism question, then he is either spineless, or incompetent. Next candidate, please!
— jackI, also, am more worried about him being a neurosurgeon than a TV doctor. The role of the Surgeon General is to ” oversee the operations of the 6,000-member Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and provides support for the Surgeon General in the accomplishment of his other duties. The Office is part of the Office of Public Health and Science in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
— TerryThe Surgeon General serves as America’s chief health educator by providing Americans the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.” (surgeongeneral.gov)
As a neurosurgeon, how much does Dr. Gupta know about the appropriate, evidence based care for diabetes? Obesity? Hypertension? Primary care? What we need in this role is another type of TV doctor - a Marcus Welby - a family physician.
Perhaps a greater concern would be to have full vetting of any links he may have to big pharma. How will his personal financial situation keep up with his present level? Would he be tempted? That other surgeon involved at a high level in government didn’t seem to keep himself true to the common good. The Senator from TN. Just wondering.
— David in OhioIt appears the article should have been entitled “Should a TV Doctor (without blond hair blue eyes) Be Surgeon General? Grow up y’all. We live in a diverse society - look at our Prez for starters. Why does such an undercurrent of racism still exist in America? Did we misled the world to think racism ended on Nov. 4, 2008. I am amazed at the audacity of the article’s author to even entertain such a stupid idea.
FROM TPP — I guarantee you that if he was a TV doctor with blond hair and blue eyes, the same questions would be asked.
— An ObserverTo poster #29…since the Surgeon General is primarily an educator and spokesperson for public health, having a nationally recognized and popular “celebrity” advising us all to put down the french fries and go for a walk would probably be a good start. No, it wouldn’t solve all of our public health problems - but considering our Type 2 Diabetes epidemic and increasing obesity rates it certainly couldn’t hurt.
— Jo without the eDr. Gupta is no “Scrubs” or even “ER” doctor, as your headline may mislead people to believe. He is an accomplished neurosurgeon (and an American hero who has performed on several of our troops in harm’s way, not to mention several Iraqi civilians as well) and professor who will bring some much needed clout and recognition to the office of Surgeon General at this crucial time. And yes, he is SO unbelievably sexy to boot! What’s wrong with that? :)
— John