Mehmet Cengiz Oz (Turkish: Mehmet Cengiz Öz; born June 11, 1960), best known as Dr. Oz, is a Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon, author, and host and commentator for the syndicated daily television program focusing on medical issues/personal health, The Dr. Oz Show.
Oz first appeared on the The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004, and later on Larry King Live and other TV programs. In 2009, Winfrey's Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures launched The Dr. Oz Show.
Mehmet Oz was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Turkish parents Suna and Mustafa, who had emigrated from Konya, Turkey. Mustafa Oz was born in Bozkır, a small town in central Turkey. Mustafa did very well in school and earned scholarships that allowed him to immigrate to the United States as a medical resident in 1955. Suna comes from a wealthy family that includes writers, civil engineers, and businessmen. Several of her great-grandparents came from the Caucasus mountains, leaving the region after the Russian Empire took it over in the 1860s.
Oz was educated at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1982 he received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University. In 1986, he obtained a joint MD and MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and The Wharton School. He was awarded the Captain’s Athletic Award for leadership in college and was Class President followed by President of the Student Body during medical school.
Oz is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and health care policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents. He performed around 250 heart operations annually.
Oz is the founder and chairman of HealthCorps, a non-profit organization that pays a small stipend to recent college graduates to spend two years in high schools mentoring students about health, nutrition, and fitness.