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63 posts
@mcmill2008 @BAMarsh1 @Vibutler_ Try again. This is "As used in this part," meaning the word "physician" as it appears in the Michigan Health Code means a licensed physician. This does not mean it is illegal for an M.D. to call themselves physician if they lack a license.
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If you have ever said or tweeted the phrase "Dr. Jill Biden" but think it's concerning that El-Sayed called himself a doctor (which he is) then it's very difficult for me to believe you're anything other than a racist.
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@RefrmDemocracy @Vibutler_ Well then tell Abdul to stop running on Pete’s plan and start supporting Medicare for All again. The coward caved and said unions can keep their health insurance & people can keep their employer plan if they want to which would destroy an actual M4A buy-in.
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@BAMarsh1 @Vibutler_ By the way, do you think voters care about this so-called ethical issue? People want Medicare for All and an end to U.S. support for war and genocide.
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@RefrmDemocracy @Vibutler_ No people think a physician is doctor who works as a medical doctor.
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@BAMarsh1 @Vibutler_ Whenever he talks about his career he mentions that he went into epidemiology and public health. There's nothing unethical about calling himself physician in that context, esp since most ppl think any med school graduate is a physician (and they're correct)
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@RefrmDemocracy @Vibutler_ The issue isn’t the legality. It’s just basic ethics lol he uses the title physician so often bc physicians are well regarded for helping and treating people. He didn’t do any of the treating
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@deagonx776 @CentristMadness Your friends who graduated from law school aren’t all intending to work as lawyers?
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@BAMarsh1 @CentristMadness ??? This was a grad party. None of them went to work in law.
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@deagonx776 @CentristMadness They all went to work in law so that makes sense!
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@BAMarsh1 @CentristMadness What you think is dorky doesnt really matter at all right? I went to a graduation party of law school students. They all described themselves as lawyers!
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@deagonx776 @CentristMadness It would be dorky as hell for someone who never worked as a lawyer a day in their life to describe themselves as one bc they went to law school
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@BAMarsh1 @CentristMadness You dont need to work as a thing to be a thing, hope this helps.
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@RefrmDemocracy @Vibutler_ The AMA is a lobbyist group on behalf of physicians and the above screenshot is in the context of fight against “scope creep” of non physician medical providers and not in the context of defending non practicing physicians lol
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@Vibutler_ Calling himself a "physician" was accurate, non-misleading, and did not imply that he was formerly or currently in clinical practice. The AMA defines a physician as an M.D. holder.
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@deagonx776 @CentristMadness Someone calling themselves a retired doctor is more weird than someone calling themselves a physician despite never worked as one/intending to ever work as one? Yeah sure buddy lol
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@BAMarsh1 @CentristMadness In an email signature sure, but this isnt how people talk.
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@deagonx776 @CentristMadness a retired doctor would describe themselves as a retired doctor/physician. they worked as one though. he can't say current or former lol
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@CentristMadness Damn anyone who retired can no longer say they're a medical doctor
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@ZaidJilani Abdul legally can’t see patients lol he doesn’t use his medical degree for his job because he can’t. He uses his public health degree.
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There are also attorneys who work in law schools and engineers who teach AP physics. A doctor working in public health is fine. The CDC in Atlanta has tons of MDs who do work besides seeing patients…
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What I love about this is McMorrow already comes across as a lady from HR and now she’s demanding to see El Sayeds resume. He always campaigns on working in public health! That’s a valid role for a doctor. You don’t have to be inspecting people’s behinds.
Hannah Lindow@hannahlindow
Abdul El-Sayed has made his supposed medical credentials a centerpiece of his campaign, but the truth is he never held a medical license, never did his residency, never passed the boards, and never practiced medicine independently. If Michigan voters can't trust El-Sayed to be honest about something that is so central to his entire rationale for running, how can they trust him to be honest about what he'd do as a United States Senator?
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@RobAlexTheGreat @SammyPickles96 @nikicaga Yes because he legally can’t see patients or work as a physician.
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@BAMarsh1 @SammyPickles96 @nikicaga He’s a physician by definition. He just doesn’t have hands-on patient care hours in that role.
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So? He has a medical degree that makes him a physician, he's just worked in other fields
Adam Wren@adamwren
NEW: Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for years has publicly said that he’s a physician — but there’s overwhelming evidence that he’s had no experience as a licensed medical doctor. W/ @dlippman politico.com/news/2026/05/1…
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@BiggestHamsi @handybobandy @AnthonyMEmerson He doesn’t use his MD for his job. He uses his public health degree.
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@handybobandy @AnthonyMEmerson That's not his speciality, he specifically works in Public Health which his MD allows him to do. Doesn't make him not a physician - wouldn't want him treating patients but leading the state health department and running for senate is a-ok with me
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It is frankly a little bit upsetting to see a smear campaign like this unfold in real time. The man has an MD from Columbia and a PhD from Oxford. He is supremely qualified in the medical profession, and by the AMA’s own standard is entitled to refer to himself as a physician.
Rodericka Applewhaite@Rodericka
Referring to yourself as a licensed medical professional is not a ‘right you earn.’ It’s a qualification you obtain through a rigorous standardized process, one that Abdul El-Sayed simply did not complete.
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@rahmdphd @mattheweadie22 @Annie_Wu_22 Ken Jeong literally practiced medicine for 8 years vs Abdul’s 0 days. Why tf would you be mad at Ken?
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@mattheweadie22 @Annie_Wu_22 It would bother me if he wasn’t doing anything related to medicine. But he’s had a healthcare related career. If Ken Jeong ran for office and touted his medical credentials, I’d say cmon now. But this is fine.
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Curious what doctors, physicians and medical professionals think of this story, instead of the three Democratic strategists and consultants quoted here, who don't appear to have medical credentials themselves
Daniel Lippman@dlippman
NEW: Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for years has publicly said he’s a physician — but there’s overwhelming evidence that he’s had no experience as a licensed medical doctor. (W/ @adamwren) politico.com/news/2026/05/1…
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@Jafpro_16 @ImNotOwned You’re still conflating things. That AI screenshot literally says those are licensed physicians who work as physicians in public health. Someone practicing preventative medicine did a residency, internship, passed boards and got a license. He did none of those.
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@Jafpro_16 @ImNotOwned He didn’t work as physician or MD tho. He legally can’t work as one. He worked as an Epidemiologists which was a separate degree. You’re conflating things.
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@ImNotOwned He was also Detroit's chief medical officer. MD's in the public health field are also doctors!
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@LetVictorBe @ZaidJilani The senate was going to vote her down lol why he pulled her nom. Terrible argument on your part.
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@ZaidJilani Trump tried to install a Surgeon General who didn't even finish her residency, so I don't see why Sayed not having a medical license should be an issue for the Senate.
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I dunno, if Sayed has an MD he did plenty of medical work as part of med school and can say he’s qualified. He doesn’t have to currently be practicing.
Peter Hamby@PeterHamby
“In 2018, he dressed up in a white doctor coat in an ad for his campaign for governor” yikes
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@SammyPickles96 @nikicaga No instead of working as a physician, he decided to work in epidemiology. No one said it’s a bad thing but he’s never worked as a physician a day in his life.
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