Mehmet Oz

Mehmet Oz
Born	Mehmet Cengiz Oz 6/11/1960
Birthplace	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Nationality	American, Turkish
Occupation	Government official, television presenter, physician, author, educator
Title	17th Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Employer	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Known for	The Dr. Oz Show, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Education	University of Pennsylvania (MD, MBA), Harvard University (BA)
Children	4
Awards	10 Daytime Emmy Awards (The Dr. Oz Show)
Website	http://www.doctoroz.com/

Mehmet Cengiz Oz (born June 11, 1960), commonly known as Dr. Oz, is an American government official, television presenter, cardiothoracic surgeon, author, and educator who has served as the 17th Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) since April 2025. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Turkish immigrant parents, Oz rose to national prominence first as a cardiac surgeon and professor of surgery at Columbia University, then as a media figure through his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and his own syndicated daytime television program, The Dr. Oz Show, which aired for thirteen seasons and won ten Daytime Emmy Awards. His television career made him one of the most recognizable physicians in the United States, though it also drew criticism from segments of the medical community over his promotion of alternative medicine and treatments lacking robust scientific support. In 2022, Oz entered electoral politics, running as the Republican nominee for the United States Senate in Pennsylvania — becoming the first Muslim candidate for the Senate to be nominated by either major political party — but lost to Democratic nominee John Fetterman. In 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Oz to lead CMS, the federal agency overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, and the United States Senate confirmed him along party lines.

Early Life

Mehmet Cengiz Oz was born on June 11, 1960, in Cleveland, Ohio, to parents who had immigrated to the United States from Turkey. He was raised in Wilmington, Delaware. Oz holds dual citizenship in the United States and Turkey. During the 1980s, he completed 60 days of mandatory military training in the Turkish Army, fulfilling an obligation of Turkish citizenship.

Growing up as the son of immigrants, Oz's upbringing in Delaware shaped his path toward medicine and public life. His Turkish heritage and Muslim faith would later become notable aspects of his public identity, particularly when he entered the political arena decades later. Religion News Service reported in 2021 that Oz identifies as Muslim, a fact that gained significant attention during his 2022 Senate campaign.

Education

Oz pursued his undergraduate education at Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he obtained both a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), an unusual dual-degree combination that positioned him at the intersection of medicine and healthcare management. This educational background at two of the country's most prestigious institutions provided the foundation for a career that would span clinical surgery, academic medicine, media, and eventually government service.

Career

Medical Career and Academia

Oz began his residency in surgery at Presbyterian Hospital in New York in 1986, marking the start of a long career in clinical medicine centered in New York City. During his time at Presbyterian Hospital, he co-founded the institution's Cardiac Complementary Care Center, which was designed to provide various types of alternative medicine to heart disease patients alongside conventional treatments. This early initiative reflected Oz's long-standing interest in integrating complementary and alternative approaches with mainstream cardiac surgery, a perspective that would later generate both public interest and professional controversy.

Over the course of his surgical career, Oz contributed to the development of new procedures and medical devices. He was involved in the creation of the MitraClip, a device used in minimally invasive heart valve repair procedures. These contributions to cardiac surgery established his credentials within the medical field.

In 2001, Oz was appointed as a professor of surgery at Columbia University, a position he held for nearly two decades. He transitioned to the role of professor emeritus in 2018. In May 2022, as Oz pursued his political ambitions in Pennsylvania, Columbia University cut ties with him and removed his presence from their website.

Oz was also involved in founding health-related organizations outside of academia, including HealthCorps, a nonprofit organization focused on health education for teenagers, and Sharecare, a health and wellness technology company.

Television Career

Oz's transition from the operating room to the television studio began in the early 2000s. In 2003, the Discovery Channel launched Second Opinion with Dr. Oz, giving him his first platform as a television medical commentator. Around the same time, he began appearing as a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, hosted by Oprah Winfrey. Over the years, Oz made more than sixty appearances on the program, where his segments on health topics, surgical demonstrations, and medical advice drew large audiences and made him a household name.

His success on Winfrey's show led directly to the creation of his own program. In 2009, The Dr. Oz Show, a daily syndicated television program focused on medical matters and personal health, was launched. The show was a production of Winfrey's Harpo Productions in partnership with Sony Pictures Television. The Dr. Oz Show ran for thirteen seasons, during which it became one of the most-watched daytime television programs in the United States and won ten Daytime Emmy Awards. The show's format typically featured Oz discussing health conditions, offering medical advice, interviewing experts and patients, and demonstrating medical procedures or health tips for a studio and television audience.

Criticism and Controversy Over Medical Claims

Despite his professional credentials in cardiac surgery, Oz's television career drew sustained criticism from medical professionals, scientific researchers, and public health advocates. Critics accused him of promoting pseudoscience on his show and in public appearances, including on the topics of alternative medicine, faith healing, and various paranormal beliefs. Multiple medical publications and physicians took issue with the claims and products featured on The Dr. Oz Show, arguing that they lacked adequate scientific evidence and could mislead viewers about effective health practices.

The scope of criticism encompassed Oz's promotion of dietary supplements, weight-loss products, and alternative treatments that had not been validated through rigorous clinical trials. His claims drew scrutiny from regulatory bodies as well. PolitiFact and other fact-checking organizations examined numerous health-related statements made by Oz over the course of his public career.

President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition

From 2018 to 2022, Oz served as co-chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, an advisory council that promotes physical activity, fitness, and healthy eating among Americans. He served in this capacity under both Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, succeeding Dominique Dawes and Drew Brees in the role. He was succeeded as co-chair by Elena Delle Donne and José Andrés.

2022 U.S. Senate Campaign

In 2022, Oz entered electoral politics, running as a Republican candidate for the United States Senate in Pennsylvania. His campaign drew significant national attention, both because of his celebrity status and because of his religious background. Religion News Service reported that Oz's candidacy made him the first Muslim candidate for the U.S. Senate to be nominated by either major political party, a milestone that generated widespread media coverage and discussion.

The Republican primary race in Pennsylvania was closely contested, and Oz secured the party's nomination. In the general election, he faced John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee and then-Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. The race was one of the most closely watched and expensive Senate contests of the 2022 midterm election cycle. Ultimately, Oz lost the general election to Fetterman.

His candidacy raised questions about his residency in Pennsylvania, his dual Turkish-American citizenship, and the extent to which his television career and promotion of certain health products would affect voter perceptions. The campaign also highlighted the challenges faced by celebrity candidates transitioning into electoral politics.

Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

In 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Oz to serve as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency responsible for administering Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the federal health insurance marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act. The United States Senate confirmed Oz along party lines, and he took office on April 8, 2025, succeeding Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as the 17th administrator of CMS.

As CMS administrator, Oz oversees one of the largest agencies in the federal government, responsible for programs that provide health coverage to tens of millions of Americans. His tenure has involved engagement with major healthcare systems and stakeholders. In March 2026, Oz met with the CEO of UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), Leslie Davis, to discuss collaboration between CMS and the health system.

Oz has also weighed in on the status of Affordable Care Act enrollment. In March 2026, he stated publicly that Affordable Care Act enrollment numbers may be "too high," even as sign-ups had already fallen significantly amid rising monthly premiums. NBC News reported on Oz's comments, which drew attention from healthcare policy analysts and advocates concerned about the future direction of ACA marketplace enrollment under his leadership.

In addition to his policy work, Oz has taken on a public-facing role alongside President Trump. In March 2026, he accompanied Trump on a trip to Cincinnati and attended a rally event where he assisted emergency responders after an attendee collapsed during the president's speech. Multiple outlets, including The Hill, Fox News, and The Independent, reported that Oz rushed to help the woman, with Trump pausing his speech to acknowledge the situation.

Oz has also engaged in public disputes on healthcare policy matters. In March 2026, the New York Post reported that Oz challenged New York Attorney General Letitia James over issues related to transgender healthcare for minors, defending a decision by NYU Langone to discontinue certain transgender treatments for children.

Personal Life

Oz is a dual citizen of the United States and Turkey. He has four children, one of whom, Daphne Oz, has established a public career of her own as a television host and author. Oz identifies as Muslim, a faith rooted in his Turkish heritage, which became a subject of public discussion during his 2022 Senate campaign in Pennsylvania.

His dual citizenship with Turkey, stemming from his parents' immigration to the United States, became a political issue during the 2022 campaign. Oz completed 60 days of mandatory military training in the Turkish Army during the 1980s as part of the obligations of Turkish citizenship. His years active in professional and public life span from 1986 to the present.

Recognition

Oz's television program, The Dr. Oz Show, won ten Daytime Emmy Awards over the course of its thirteen-season run from 2009 to 2022, making it one of the most decorated daytime television programs in its category. The show's commercial and critical success in the television industry cemented Oz's status as one of the most prominent medical communicators in American media.

His academic credentials include appointments at two of the country's leading medical institutions — he served as a professor of surgery at Columbia University from 2001 to 2018, when he transitioned to professor emeritus. His involvement in the development of the MitraClip and other cardiac surgical innovations earned recognition within the field of cardiothoracic surgery.

At the same time, Oz's reputation has been shaped by the controversy surrounding his promotion of alternative medicine and products lacking strong scientific evidence on his television program. The juxtaposition of his legitimate surgical credentials with the criticism he received from peers in the medical community has made him a polarizing figure within American healthcare.

His nomination as the first Muslim candidate for the U.S. Senate by a major political party in 2022 was noted as a milestone in American political representation, regardless of the outcome of the election.

Legacy

Mehmet Oz's career trajectory — from cardiac surgery at a major academic medical center to daytime television stardom to a Senate campaign to leading one of the largest federal healthcare agencies — is without clear precedent in American public life. His path reflects broader trends in the intersection of medicine, media, celebrity culture, and politics in the United States during the early 21st century.

As a surgeon and academic, Oz contributed to advancements in cardiac care and medical device development, including the MitraClip. His co-founding of the Cardiac Complementary Care Center at Presbyterian Hospital represented an early effort to integrate alternative medicine approaches into conventional cardiac care settings, an approach that generated both interest and skepticism within the medical profession.

As a television personality, Oz reached an audience of millions through The Dr. Oz Show and his earlier appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show. His ability to communicate health information in an accessible, entertaining format made him influential in shaping public conversations about health, wellness, and medicine. Critics, however, contend that his platform was used to promote products and treatments that lacked adequate scientific support, potentially undermining public trust in evidence-based medicine.

His entry into politics and subsequent appointment to lead CMS placed him in a position of direct authority over federal healthcare programs that affect the daily lives of millions of Americans. The trajectory from television medical personality to federal healthcare administrator has been met with both support from those who view his communication skills and medical background as assets, and opposition from those who point to the controversies surrounding his television career.

Oz's role as CMS administrator continues to evolve, and his decisions regarding Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces will be significant factors in shaping his long-term legacy in American healthcare policy.