Mehmet Oz | Biography, Senate, TV Show, & Facts | Britannica

Medical career

Oz subsequently conducted his residency in general surgery (1986–90) and cardiothoracic surgery (1991–93) at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. In 1993 he became an attending surgeon at New York–Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. An advocate of alternative medicine, Oz began incorporating hypnosis, meditation, acupuncture, and other non-Western treatments into his practice. In 2001 he became director of the hospital’s complementary medicine program. That year he also became professor of surgery at Columbia University.

In 2005 Oz wrote (with Michael F. Roizen) YOU: The Owner’s Manual. The book—which was noted for its engaging text and humour—led to a television appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oz subsequently became a regular guest on that program as well as many others, earning him the nickname “America’s Doctor.” His rapport with audiences was in part due to his easygoing manner and holistic approach to health. With Roizen he continued the best-selling YOU series with YOU: On a Diet (2006), YOU: The Smart Patient (2006), YOU: Staying Young (2007), YOU: Being Beautiful (2008), and YOU: Having a Baby (2009).

The popularity of the books and television appearances led to a daily radio talk show. The program, which debuted in 2008, featured Oz and Roizen providing health advice. The following year Oz also began hosting the daytime television series The Dr. Oz Show, an hour-long program that included information on various health topics and on preventive medicine. It was an immediate success with viewers, but Oz’s recommendations on the program drew scrutiny, and in 2014 he appeared before a U.S. Senate panel that was critical of his promotion of weight-loss products. Later that year, a study in the British Medical Journal found that 54 percent of his recommendations either contradicted or lacked scientific evidence. Oz responded by defending his right to free speech.

Oz authored numerous papers and was a regular contributor to various periodicals, including Esquire and O, the Oprah Magazine. In 2003 he founded and became chairman of HealthCorps, a nonprofit organization that focused on obesity and other health problems, especially those affecting American youths.