Sanjay Gupta Chosen for Surgeon General

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 6, 2009 3:30 PM CST
Sanjay Gupta Chosen for Surgeon General
Host Larry King interviewing guests Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN chief medical correspondent, and Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.   (AP Photo/CNN, Rose M. Prouser)

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.

Gupta’s only hesitation regards his financial situation. With a pregnant wife and two children, he is reportedly anxious about leaving high-paying jobs on television and in medicine for the public sector. Still, the son of Indian and Pakistani immigrants is widely expected to accept the post shortly. Gupta has worked in the White House before, when he advised and wrote speeches for First Lady Hillary Clinton. (More President Obama stories.)

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