One hundred and fifty-one doctors have denounced Pennsylvania Republican Senate Dr. Oz for providing dangerous medical advice and spreading misinformation.
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The letter from Real Doctors Against Oz states:
We the undersigned doctors write with serious concern regarding the candidacy of Dr. Mehmet Oz for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat. As physicians, we strongly believe in evidence-based medicine and sharing honest health information with the public.
As a former daytime TV host, Dr. Oz exploited the hopes and fears of his viewers by promoting unproven, ill-advised, and at times potentially dangerous treatments. He has made clear that he will put enriching himself above all else, even in instances where people’s health is endangered.
Dr. Oz’s record of spreading misinformation and sharing factually incorrect medical advice on The Dr. Oz Show and otherwise is thoroughly researched and well documented.
One 2014 study by the British Medical Journal found that half of the claims made on The Dr. Oz Show were not based in fact and researchers at Georgetown University found that more than 75% of recommendations made on Dr. Oz’s show “did not align with evidence-based medical guidelines.†When called before Congress to answer for this misinformation, even Dr. Oz himself had to admit that “oftentimes [the products I promote] don’t have the scientific muster to pass as fact.â€Â
Dr. Oz would also be another vote to criminalize abortion and he has refused to condemn efforts to ban abortion in Pennsylvania, endangering the lives of women and people who can become pregnant. He has even said that he opposes abortions in cases of rape or incest.
Dr. Oz also disseminated dangerous misinformation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He promoted and defended unproven and possibly dangerous COVID-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin when there wasn’t clear scientific consensus. He also said that COVID-19 vaccines weren’t “true vaccinesâ€Â like “classic childhood vaccines.†This is all deeply concerning.
In 2015, ten physicians, including surgeons and professors, penned a letter to ​​Columbia’s Dean of Medicine saying they were “surprised and dismayed†that Dr. Oz was a faculty member at the university. The same year, eight Columbia faculty members published an op-ed in USA Today calling out Dr. Oz for “misleading the public†and forcing physicians like themselves to spend “a significant amount of our clinical time debunking Ozisms.†This year, Columbia University decided to cut ties with the former TV host.Â
As a TV celebrity doctor, Mehmet Oz has displayed a shameful disregard for medical science and the wellbeing of his audience while he enriched himself at the expense of our patients. As physicians we take seriously our responsibility for the health and wellbeing of our patients.
John Fetterman believes that healthcare is a fundamental human right, supports expanding access to affordable health care, protecting people with preexisting conditions, and would vote to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Protecting the health and wellbeing of our citizens requires that we elect John Fetterman to the US Senate this November.Â
The fact is that Dr. Oz isn’t really a doctor anymore. He plays one on television where he spreads quack cures and dangerous misinformation. Mehmet Oz became a right-wing celebrity long ago. His job is no different than Alex Jones, who uses his platform to spread misinformation and move survivalist merchandise. The product is different, but the business model is the same.
Republicans have wasted millions upon millions of dollars trying to con Pennsylvania voters into supporting Dr. Oz, but Democrat John Fetterman has maintained a consistent lead as the state’s voters continue to reject New Jersey dog killer/TV pitchman.
Dr. Oz was Trump’s hand-picked choice for the Pennsylvania Republican Senate nomination, and if the GOP loses a seat that it has controlled almost uninterrupted since 1969, minus the brief period when Arlen Specter switched parties and became a Democrat in 2009, the loss will be on Trump.
Doctors see the truth, and they are asking Pennsylvanians to reject Mehmet Oz.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
