She Lacks Medical License, Could Become US' Top Doctor

A wellness influencer with a lapsed medical license is set to defend her bid to become the nation's top doctor on Capitol Hill. Dr. Casey Means, President Trump's nominee for surgeon general, will face senators Wednesday in a closely watched confirmation hearing, where her unconventional resume and ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are expected to dominate questioning, per NBC News. Means, a former Kennedy campaign adviser and a vocal critic of aspects of mainstream medicine who left a surgical residency in 2018 just shy of completion and no longer holds an active license, would be a stark departure from past surgeons general if confirmed as expected.

Her past work as a biomedical researcher, championing of healthy eating and exercise, warnings on ultraprocessed foods, and regular communications with the public through her newsletter appear to make her a "natural fit" for the role, per the New York Times. But critics flag her debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, promotion of other unscientific ideas, and incomplete medical training, fearing her confirmation will fuel distrust in scientific and medical expertise. Means has also profited from supplements and wellness products and co-founded a glucose-monitoring startup, raising conflict-of-interest concerns that prompted a September ethics agreement to cut those ties.