Talk show host Mehmet Oz known as Dr. Oz has dismissed criticism from 10 doctors who accused him of promoting quack treatments and cures in the interest of personal financial gain.
A group of doctors addressed a letter to Columbia University, asking for Oz's dismissal from the medical school's faculty, calling his senior role in the prestigious medical institution as “unacceptable".
"I bring the public information that will help them on their path to be their best selves. We provide multiple points of view, including mine which is offered without conflict of interest. That doesn't sit well with certain agendas which distort the facts. For example, I do not claim that GMO (genetically modified organism) foods are dangerous, but believe that they should be labeled like they are in most countries around the world. I will address this on the show next week," Oz posted on his Facebook page, which was a;sp referred to from his Twitter account.
I bring the public information that will help them on their path to be their best selves. We provide multiple ... http://t.co/x8cRVS6Uoq
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) April 17, 2015
According to USA Today, Doug Levy, chief communications officer for Columbia University Medical Center, sent a response to the letter's authors, saying:
"As I am sure you understand and appreciate, Columbia is committed to the principle of academic freedom and to upholding faculty members' freedom of expression for statements they make in public discussion."
In addition to being a famous author and television personality, Dr. Oz is a professor and department vice-chairman at the Department of Surgery at Columbia University and directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
