It seems the mere mention of former President Donald Trump’s name in some circles can lead entire institutions to scrub away years of collaboration with a public figure.
It’s exactly what happened with Dr. Oz, just as his Pennsylvania Senate campaign was off to a great start.
The trained heart surgeon and TV persona has been a professor at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons for over two decades.
His title was changed to professor emeritus in 2018, signaling that his affiliation with the school has continued, despite his retirement.
Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center cuts ties
However, following this change, the institution removed any record of affiliation with Oz; currently, there’s no mention of him on their website.
As of now, there hasn’t been any comment from the medical center regarding the situation.
Contacting Dr. Oz’s official telephone number ends up with your call being redirected to a ticket sales number for his TV show, which closed in January this year.
I’m running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania because America needs a Conservative Republican to cure what’s wrong with Washington. I’m a world-class surgeon, fighter, and health care advocate stepping forward to cure our country’s ills. Watch my announcement video now! pic.twitter.com/yLhKsZm9sl
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) November 30, 2021
The reason for the change is blatantly obvious.
The institution has criticized the doctor ever since he began touting the successful usage of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 treatment under Trump’s endorsement.
This isn’t the first time Oz came under criticism. Activists called for his removal as early as April 2015 after allegations that he was pushing “questionable” medical advice on his famed TV show.
Thanks @gregkellyusa for having me on the show. We’re going to WIN on May 17th! pic.twitter.com/szoNSdZkuQ
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) April 29, 2022
Few remain to defend the long-standing doctor’s name
Thankfully, despite there being a large number of physicians who oppose his practices, some still jumped to his aid.
Boston-based pediatrician Dr. Daniel Summers criticized the Columbia Medical center and claimed their lackluster handling of the situation will surely leave a blot on their name.
On the flip side though, ethics experts like Dr. Arthur Caplan believe the good doctor is a danger to public health in the US and across the globe.
He even stated this opinion at Oz’s Senate hearing in 2015, which came on the grounds that he was spreading misinformation.
Disgusting Fake News Media COLLUDING to try to Stop @DrOz. They HATE him because he's MAGA, endorsed by TRUMP. So they Stop referring to him as a DOCTOR, now it's "MISTER OZ"–what petty, nasty little FREAKS they are. Despite the "diss"-he'd still save their lives. JEALOUSY! pic.twitter.com/8UP5l3X7WP
— Greg Kelly (@gregkellyusa) April 26, 2022
Trump’s endorsement of Oz arrived soon after he began promoting the miraculous effects and benefits of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 treatments, mentioning it over 25 times in his Fox appearances between March and April of 2020.
Currently, the WHO doesn’t recommend the drug, claiming it to be related to arrhythmia, and kidney and liver failure.
Oz pressed on, purchasing over 2,000 doses of the drug for a medical study.
Columbia University quietly dropped Dr. Mehmet Oz from its website as the pro Trump doctor seeks to represent PA in the Senate. Columbia has been pressured for years to fire Dr. Oz for using TV show to push medicines like ineffective diet pills and discredited Covid treatments. pic.twitter.com/CWSMdTFdjq
— Dr. Mohamed Arafa (@DrMohamedAraf) May 1, 2022
Following his announcement that he’s running for Pat Tooney’s Senate spot, Oz pointed to the 700k+ COVID-related deaths which could have been prevented through the usage of this miracle drug.
At the moment, Oz is trailing behind David McCormick in the Republican nomination race.
This is expected to change after his scheduled appearance at a Greensburg event, alongside former President Trump, who has yet to fully reveal whether he’s going to run in the 2024 election or not.
