Gupta's Right Doc for Political Prime Time

(NEWSER) - Sanjay Gupta is sticking with CNN and brain surgery. Gupta has withdrawn his name from contention to be the next surgeon general, the network reports. Gupta apparently had reservations over a big pay cut and the idea of reporting to more than one boss, notes Fox News. Gupta will discuss it on Larry King Live tonight. Obama caused a stir when he approached the celebrity doctor about the post. No obvious contenders are in the wings, at least publicly. More»

(NEWSER) - CNN correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta is Barack Obama’s choice for surgeon general, and the doctor is expected to accept, the Washington Post reports. The two had a meeting in Chicago in November, where the president-elect noted that Gupta would be a very high-profile appointment and would have significant say on health policy. The final vetting process is in progress. More»

CNN doc, and onetime Surgeon General candidate, falls ill in Afghanistan

(NEWSER) - Now just imagine how embarrassing this would’ve been if he had been Surgeon General: Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s medical talking head, got swine flu on a recent reporting trip to Afghanistan, he writes in a blog post today. “I am not someone who gets sick, really ever,” he writes. “And this was the sickest I have ever been.” More»

No: Benjamin can inspire those of above-average weight

(NEWSER) - Regina Benjamin is supremely qualified to be surgeon general—except on one count, argue some: “The anti-fat brigade wonder if a country plagued by obesity should have an above average-weight woman speaking to public health,” writes Frances Kissling in Salon. Yes, we should, Kissling says. Countless Americans are trying to gain dignity and lose weight, and “having a confident, big-bodied and big-spirited woman” as surgeon general can inspire them. More»

Easily treated 'silent' condition kills about 100,000 each year

(NEWSER) - An easily treatable complication related to blood clots kills 100,000 Americans every year, but a new federal awareness campaign aims to change that, the AP reports. Although deep vein thrombosis affects up to 600,000 people a year, "I don't think most people understand that this is a serious medical problem or what can be done to prevent it," the acting surgeon general said at the announcement of a "call to action." More»