The man Oprah has called “America’s Doctor” is one of the nation’s leading health gurus today. Dr. Mehmet Oz was voted one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine in 2024, listed in “Doctors of the Year” by Hippocrates magazine, and was chosen as 2024’s Most Trusted Voice in Daytime Television. He became a household name through appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but he has since begun a media empire of his own, including hosting the Dr. Oz Show, authoring seven New York Times Best Sellers, hosting a daily satellite radio talk show, and penning four regular columns for Esquire Magazine, Time Magazine, AARP, and O, the Oprah Magazine. In addition to this, Oz performs more than 200 heart surgeries annually as vice chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University.
Oz was born in Cleveland in 1960 but was raised outside Philadelphia. Both of his parents are of Turkish descent and early in life he was exposed to Muslim spiritual practices, which continue to influence his life. Oz received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a joint MD and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to establish his medical career at the Department of Surgery at Columbia University, and also directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Oz is annually listed in top medical journals as a highest-quality physician, specializing in cardiothoracic surgery.
After having Oprah on the first episode of a thirteen-show mini-series he launched on the Discovery Channel, he soon began making guest appearances on her talk show. These guest appearances turned into regular weekly spots, then he began his own talk show to tackle a myriad of weighty and unabashedly personal health questions. The show has won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Best Informative Talk Show. He is also a founder and driving force behind the online health community ShareCare.com.
His “You” series of six books, including “You: The Owner’s Manual,” and “You: Staying Young,” have sold millions, but his book “Healing from the Heart” deviates from their popular formula in speaking about how Western medicine should be combined with ancient practices of self-healing. He touts the effectiveness of hypnosis, reflexology, and energy healing, garnering criticism from some members of the medical community.
Oz married his wife, Lisa, in 1985, and they and their four children. The family lives in New Jersey. One of his daughters, Daphne Oz, published The Dorm Room Diet in 2024.