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BMJ 2002;325:123 ( 20 July )

News

Candidate for US surgeon general comes under fire from senators

Scott Gottlieb, New York

The White House nominee for US surgeon general faced tough questioning in Senate hearings about his qualifications but is still expected to be confirmed.

Dr Richard Carmona hit the headlines for his dual career as a trauma surgeon and deputy sheriff, and on the eve of the hearings allegations arose in the Los Angeles Times that he had had a rocky tenure as a surgeon at a previous hospital and was often in conflict with colleagues. The article also alleged he had supplied incorrect information for an application to become an emergency room physician and had failed certification exams at least twice.

Dr Carmona, who describes himself as a "high school dropout and poor Hispanic kid" who went on to become a doctor after serving in Vietnam, has run a trauma unit and hospital in Tucson, Arizona, where he works as a deputy sheriff. He is also a clinical professor of surgery at the University of Arizona.

Under questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing, Dr Carmona acknowledged that it had taken him eight years to acquire board certification in general surgery and that he had failed the exam twice before passing it. He also dismissed complaints about his handling of several personnel disputes, attributing these to bitter former employees and "business disputes."

Despite the questions, several senators predicted that Dr Carmona would be confirmed for the post vacated in April by David Satcher, who was appointed by Bill Clinton in 1998.

During the hearing Dr Carmona demonstrated a fluent understanding of a wide array of health issues, ranging from asthma to bioterrorism, to childhood obesity, and to HIV/AIDS.

(Credit: AP/RON EDMONDS)   Doctor Richard Camona (right) with President Bush

© BMJ 2002
 

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