On March 14, Dr. Mehmet Oz will answer questions from members of the Senate Finance Committee in his confirmation hearing to lead the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Oz is an unusual combination of a high-achieving doctor—he has an Ivy-League pedigree and was a heart surgeon at Columbia University for decades—and a TV personality who hosted a daytime talk show for 13 seasons. He’s also courted controversy over endorsements of what many experts view as questionable products and remedies. It's not the typical background for a head of CMS, which generally includes a heavy focus on health policy. Here's what to know about Oz and his position on everything from Medicare to supplements during his years in the public eye. Oz’s medical background Oz was on the faculty of Columbia University, earning some renown as a skilled heart transplant surgeon who was part of the first published study, in 2001, reporting on the benefits of mechanical hearts in treating heart failure. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed an MBA. He went to Columbia for his medical residency and remained to join the faculty, where he spent the rest of his medical career. Oz earned notoriety for his then-unorthodox views on medical treatment, such as allowing his patients to receive massage and spiritual interventions to help their recovery. His untraditional views attracted the attention of health journalists eager to hear more about the quick-talking, engaging surgeon who wasn’t afraid of discussing such unprecedented strategies. Grottoes bear the enduring touch of Tang Branded Content Grottoes bear the enduring touch of Tang By China Daily His fame-making Oprah appearance Unlike many academics, Oz felt comfortable in the spotlight and seemed to have a knack for distilling complicated medical jargon and ideas into language that was easy for people without medical expertise to understand. He gained fame, for example, as a guest on Oprah in 2014 when he spoke about bowel movements. “It should sound like a diver from Acapulco hits the water,” he told a skeptical Oprah about how feces should land in the toilet. He also informed viewers that their stool should be shaped like the letter "S." Read More: What to Know About Marty Makary, Trump’s Pick to Lead the FDA In following episodes, he brought the same straight-talk to educating people about keeping their hearts healthy, bringing cadaver hearts to shock people into seeing the differences between hearts damaged by smoking and healthy ones. The Dr. Oz Show: Celebrity and controversy The popularity of his appearances led Oprah to support his own talk show focused on health issues, which ran from 2009 to 2022. Oz built on his medical knowledge and engaging way of communicating to discuss everything from how to keep hearts healthy to good nutrition and trendy supplements. His unique ability to tackle embarrassing health topics even led to a parody on Saturday Night Live in 2011.
