Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing scrutiny over his use of the title "physician," with critics arguing that his medical degree and public health credentials do not qualify him as a practicing physician. The debate centers on whether holding a Doctor of Medicine degree and a doctorate in public health is sufficient to claim the title of physician, especially when an individual has not actively practiced medicine.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a physician and Fox News medical analyst, highlighted the distinction between being a doctor and being a physician. Siegel noted that state licensing boards, including New York's, typically reserve the title "physician" for individuals licensed to practice medicine or surgery. Siegel defines a physician as someone actively involved in treating patients or conducting research as a physician-scientist.
El-Sayed earned a medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a doctorate in public health from Oxford University. He has also held significant public health roles, serving as the executive director of the Detroit Health Department and director of Wayne County’s Health, Human and Veterans Services Department. Additionally, he has held academic appointments at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
However, Siegel contends that these qualifications, while substantial, make El-Sayed a doctor and an epidemiologist, but not a physician in the active sense of the word. He points to the historical definition of a physician as someone engaged in the study of nature and illness in the physical world, referencing the Hippocratic tradition.
The controversy was amplified when Zeteo host Mehdi Hasan questioned El-Sayed about his claim to be a physician. Hasan reportedly asked El-Sayed if he wished he had used only the title "doctor" to avoid the controversy.
Siegel drew parallels to other physicians who have served in the U.S. Senate, such as Sen. John Barrasso (orthopedic surgeon), Sen. Bill Cassidy (gastroenterologist), Sen. Rand Paul (ophthalmologist), Sen. Roger Marshall (OB-GYN), and the late Sen. Bill Frist (heart surgeon). Siegel suggested that the qualities crucial for a physician—compassion, balanced judgment, calmness under pressure, and a deep understanding of the human condition—are also vital for a senator.
El-Sayed, who has authored a book on Medicare for All, has stated that he has never received money from insurance companies. However, Siegel countered that navigating insurance complexities is part of understanding the limitations of Medicare, an experience he gains from caring for patients.
The debate underscores the importance of precise terminology in political discourse, particularly when candidates' professional backgrounds are a point of discussion for voters.