Specialty

Mehmet Oz

Cardiac Surgeon & Integrative Medicine

Self Exam

  • Occupation: Cardio Thoracic Surgeon, Professor of Surgery, Author, Talk Show Host
  • Alternative career choice: Professional Athlete
  • What do rock stars and scienctists have in common: Both search meaning and knowledge beyond what's immediately apparent to the senses. Both must be able to approach their work without fear, with total confidence and be unswayed by circemstances or the opinion of others.
  • Musical Instrument I Play: Piano
  • I tend to approach life: with total optimism. I believe people are inherently good. I choose to be happy about the positive things rather than dwell on the negative. That choice has made all difference.
  • Biggest misconceptions about me or my work: is that there is vast difference between the operating room and the studio. They both are places where i rely on a team of experts to do their jobs well. They both involve teaching. They can both save lives.
  • Worst part-time job ever: Cutting shrubs for my county growing up
  • Longest med school study session: Pharmacology on the board exam was tough
  • Best moment in medicine/research: Discovering how we could change heart valves without opening the chest for surgery

About My Research

Disease Area: I am a cardio thoracic surgeon that performs all types of heart surgery and transplants.

Research Area: Research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and complementary medicine. I have authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents.

Science Impact/Accomplishments or Goal: I hold patents on several devices and solutions which have been instrumental in keeping patients alive. I invented the major non-invasive mitral valve repair technique (e-valve sold to abbott labs) and helped found the company (pvt which was sold to edwards) that makes the main aortic valve replacement device used in the world.

Research Description: Innovative ways to change the human heart including heart transplantation and mechanical hearts. We conducted the clinical trials showing the benefits of these treatments and helped advance the field."

Biography

Dr. Oz, Daytime Emmy Award winning host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complementary medicine and health care policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books, has received several patents, and performs more than 100 heart surgeries per year.

Dr. Oz was born in Cleveland, Ohio, raised in Delaware and received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University (1982) and obtained a joint MD and MBA (1986) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School. He was awarded the Captain’s Athletic Award for leadership in college and was Class President followed by President of the Student Body during medical school. He lives in Northern New Jersey with his wife Lisa of 25 years and their four children, Daphne, Arabella, Zoe, and Oliver.

Previously, Dr. Oz was a featured health expert on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” for over five seasons, spanning 55 episodes. He has also served as chief medical consultant to Discovery Communications, where his “Transplant!” series won both a Freddie and a Silver Telly award. In addition to numerous appearances on “Good Morning America,” he has also appeared on the “Today” show, “Larry King Live,” “The View,” guest-hosted the “Charlie Rose” show and appeared on all the evening news broadcasts. He also served as medical director of Denzel Washington’s “John Q” and participated in several other feature films.

Dr. Oz authored six New York Times Best Sellers including “You: The Owner’s Manual”, “You: The Smart Patient”, “YOU: On a Diet”, “YOU: Staying Young”, “YOU: Being Beautiful” as well as the award winning “Healing from the Heart”. His new book, “YOU: Having a Baby,” was published by Free Press on December 1, 2009. He has a regular column in Esquire magazine and O, The Oprah Magazine and his article “Retool, Reboot, and Rebuild” was awarded the 2009 National Magazine Award for Personal Service.

Dr. Oz is also the host of a daily talk show on Sirius XM Radio’s “Oprah Radio” on XM Channel 156 and Sirius Channel 195 (as part of its “Best of XM” package).

In addition to belonging to every major professional society for heart surgeons, Dr. Oz was named Forbes’ #3 most influential celebrity (10), has been honored as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People (08), Esquire magazine’s 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century, a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum (99-04), and “The Harvard 100 Most Influential Alumni” in the 02138 magazine, as well as receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (08). He won the prestigious Gross Surgical Research Scholarship, and has received an honorary doctorate from Istanbul University, He was voted “The Best and Brightest” by Esquire Magazine, a “Doctor of the Year” by Hippocrates magazine and “Healer of the Millennium” by Healthy Living magazine. Dr. Oz is annually elected as a highest quality physician by the Castle Connolly Guide as well as other major ranking groups.