Physicians have served as U.S. senators for decades, bringing with them a unique set of skills and qualifications. Some notable examples include Sen. John Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, a gastroenterologist and liver specialist who co-founded a clinic for the poor. Sen. Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist who practiced for almost 20 years, while Sen. Roger Marshall is an OB-GYN who delivered more than 5,000 babies.
Heart surgeon Sen. Bill Frist performed over 150 heart and lung transplants and started the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center before becoming a U.S. senator from 1995 to 2007 and Senate majority leader from 2003 to 2007. Physicians like these require compassion, balanced judgment, calmness, and resolve under pressure, as well as a deep understanding of the human condition.
These qualities are also crucial for a U.S. senator, making the current focus on the qualifications of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, a matter of great importance. El-Sayed has been challenged on his claim of being a physician, despite not having a valid state medical license.
El-Sayed's use of the term "physician" deserves scrutiny, especially considering the distinction made by most state licensing boards. These boards reserve the title "physician" for individuals who are licensed to practice medicine or surgery. Being a physician is an active role that involves healing or treating patients or studying potential tests or cures as a physician-scientist.
While El-Sayed has strong medical credentials, including a medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a doctorate in public health from Oxford University, these qualifications do not make him a physician. He has not practiced medicine, and a physician is someone who assumes the care of patients or searches for treatments and cures as a physician-scientist.
The American Medical Association Journal of Ethics defines the term "physician" as one who studies the natural world and understands illness as part of the natural order. In this context, El-Sayed's claim to being a physician rings hollow, especially considering his lack of medical licensure. The physicians in the U.S. Senate, both past and present, are a tough act to follow, and the first step in that direction is to accurately represent one's qualifications and experience.
