By about 3:30p.m. eastern this afternoon, every South Asian American in the country (and their mother) had already heard that Sanjay Gupta was on the verge of being announced the next Surgeon General of the United States:
President-elect Barack Obama has offered the job of surgeon general to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon and correspondent for CNN and CBS, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.
Gupta has told administration officials that he wants the job, and the final vetting process is under way. He has asked for a few days to figure out the financial and logistical details of moving his family from Atlanta to Washington but is expected to accept the offer.
When reached for comment today, Gupta did not deny the account but declined to comment.
The offer followed a two-hour Chicago meeting in November with Obama, who said that Gupta could be the highest-profile surgeon general in history and would have an expanded role in providing health policy advice, the sources said. Gupta later spoke with Tom Daschle, Obama’s White House health czar and nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, and other advisers to the president-elect. [Link]
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p>The choice of Gupta is very obvious when you think about it. It adds a touch of star power to Obama’s administration, will get lots of kudos (and donations) from the South Asian American community and, perhaps most importantly, adds another health care policy wonk to the dream team to be headed by H&HS Secretary Tom Daschle. You know all those rich Indian doctors that tend to vote Republican? Maybe not anymore.
CNN released a statement saying, “Since first learning that Dr. Gupta was under consideration for the surgeon general position, CNN has made sure that his on-air reporting has been on health and wellness matters and not on health-care policy or any matters involving the new administration…” [Link]
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p>Taking this job, which will result in a large paycut for Gupta, will also set him up very nicely to run for office in Michigan in the future. Through some contacts I heard the rumors a few months back that Gupta at least thought about or was encouraged to run for mayor of Detroit to replace the disgraced Kwame Kilpatrick.
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p>As a college senior I once invited Dr. Gupta to the Midwest Indian American Students’s Conference at the University of Michigan (he is an alumnus). It was before he hit the big time but I remember him being really genuine and laid back. And of course who can forget his exploits with the Devil Docs at the beginning of the war where is switched between reporting for CNN and scrubbing in to brain surgery.
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p>There is another really good potential outcome as a result of this appointment. I know a lot of desi doctors who look a lot younger than they really are. Patients always make comments to them like, “uhhh…are you old enough?” Now these desi doctors can point to Sanjay Gupta who is the top doctor in the land and also looks pretty young and say, “umm, like yeah.”
What I really wanted to do was to end this post with the really funny Gupta/Dobbs CNN ad from a few years back. Can someone find me a working link…STAT?
45 · PS said
Snooping low already??
What are those accomplishments? If you direct me to wikipedia etc, you are making accusations based on nothing.
Did Gupta find cures to hep-B? Any epidemic? Or has experience in leading large pharma/medical operations? What makes him better over any other doctor (sloppyjoe, PS, read this: -> any other doctor of any skin), especially who are famous for being on TV?
If you don’t know, silence will suffice.
16 · Kush Tandon said
good lord. how long must we suffer with this stereotype.
23 · Manju said
manju, marcus welby? You are old, uncle. Doogie Howser would be a good pick, especially because he’s been solid for Kumar, but he apparently made some bad choices growing up, and is now perennially on shrooms, driving drunk, and getting shot by brothel madams, which might prove a problem in confirmation hearings. As for Gupta, if you’re looking for somebody who has gone exploring to the most untamed parts of the world, what about Dr. Quinn?
Manju, you still seem to have unresolved issues from your crossdressing phase. I think you are long overdue for a visit with Dr. Phil.
I said “looks like”, that doesn’t translate as “know”.
If we were talking about brown folks, I would’ve preferred Atul Gawande (he writes brilliantly for the New Yorker).
Ever the good party man, abhi, not that there’s anything wrong with that (watching too much Seinfeld, lately).
As for the rich doctors, perhaps it will depend on whether they like the offered health care policies….
Right before he got the CNN gig, Gupta took a job in my hometown as the junior partner of my friend’s father. My Dad came home all excited telling me about how impressive this young Indian neurosurgeon was, since he had written for the Wall Street Journal. He is undoubtedly a very smart person, a capable surgeon and an effective health care reporter. As someone whose job it is to promote healthy living to the American public, he is probably the perfect choice.
Unfortunately, the job description also labels him America’s top doctor, a post there is no way he is qualified for. In medical terms, 39 is quite young. I’m sure my friend’s dad is sitting at home thinking, “How the hell did this guy go from my employee to the top physician in the country without practicing for any length or time, publishing anything of note or making any significant contribution to the field medicine?”
Oh yeah, he was on TV for a few years. I guess that’s enough to catapult him over the top guys at Hopkins, Harvard, Mayo etc. I wonder what those who taught him make of all this…
Those things wouldn’t automatically qualify him to be Surgeon General either. While those things would look great on a CV when applying for a position at the NIH, the SG is a public health advocate, not some research scientist.
I agree with Krugman and that commenter on his blog. It was embarrassing to watch Sanjay Gupta make a complete fool of himself defending the American medical system in that infamous confrontation with Moore. However you have to admit that his initials make it seem like it is his destiny to be the Surgeon General…
57 · SpottieOttieDopaliscious said
CNN has posted his bio. He did publish in various scientific journals.
Whoa, what next nominating Judge Judy for the supreme court?
This is a disappointing choice given how completely owned Dr. Gupta was owned by Micheal Moore on Larry King live, and blatantly lied to the public.
Dr. Gupta seems like a tool of the Pharma industry. Plus he’s against medicinal marijuana, I just can’t trust anybody that takes a stance like that.
50 · Rahul
Rahul that was funny ! I think Sir-Jan is not politically correct…where are the feminists of SM ?
52 · Manju said
methinks sir manju doth protest too much.
63 · postcard from patpong said
Hey, I’d kick your ass, postcard, but my feet are killing me.
Abhi:
Are you sure you didn’t mean:
😉
Interesting
64 · Manju said
i agree: those stilletos must be quite hard on your twinkletoes.
I think Obama made an excellent choice in chosing Dr. Sanjay Gupta he has a high profile, he is a very respected neurosurgeon, and he has charisma. Why wouldn’t Obama choose him? It makes perfect sense he can appeal to younger people and older people. I think Dr. Gupta was an excellent choice.
Any clue what is happening with the Surgeon-General position?