Dem Senate hopeful’s ‘physician’ campaign pitch under fire after license records reveal key gaps

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has repeatedly described himself as a "physician" on the campaign trail and in public biographies, despite records showing he has never held a medical license in Michigan or New York.

Much of El-Sayed’s campaign has focused on his medical credentials, particularly his purported experience as a physician. While El-Sayed does have a medical degree, public records in New York and Michigan examined by Politico indicate that he’s never held a license to practice medicine.

New York state law prohibits individuals who lack medical licenses from identifying themselves as "physicians," a title El-Sayed claimed on at least two occasions while in the state. Michigan law also bars individuals from working "to induce the belief" that they are licensed to practice medicine.

Katie Zacharia being pilloried for calling herself a lawyer. Hannity just grilled her on it The idiot didn't know to pivot right to El-Sayed's claim to be a doctor (neither did she)and Trump didn't pick up on it either, that I've seen. This was the news cycle to do it. Rogers did nail him on it in their debate. Zacharia graduated from law school, El-Sayed's only defense to Rogers was "take it up with Columbia medical school.." He never did an internship, nor a residency and has never held a medical license, HE IS NOT ELIGIBLE. Why is out side so lame brained to miss this opportunity to pivot the news cycle to him, whle the iron is hot?!!!

“Maybe this guy and Dr. Jill can open a practice together...”

Jill Biden isn’t a medical doctor. She has an EDD, not a PhD. The difference is that the person with an EDD doesn’t write a dissertation.

In academia, you are still called “Doctor” with an EDD, but many other academics, especially in “soft fields” like education, sort of look at you sideways like you don’t belong because you didn’t write a dissertation. Deservedly or not, an EDD is often looked at as a pay-scale degree. One you get to bump you up the public school pay-scale ladder, a way to differentiate from the masses of teachers with an MS in Education.

In Asia, status is really important. My PhD is in Educational Philosophy, which is a Doctorate with an actual dissertation. One of my credit cards is from a HK Bank. It lists my name with the prefix “Dr.” I didn’t ask for that; the bank just did it that way. But because the ticketing record on the flight says “Doctor,” I’ve had flight attendants approach me about helping with a mid-flight medical emergency. I have to tell them. I have to just laugh and say,
I’m not that type of doctor.”

We have two local candidates here in Mesa, both Republicans, who lead with their medical doctor credentials, featuring catchy lines like “We need a doctor in the House”.

It is all complete with lab coat and stethoscope. I find that tiresome. Frankly, it makes me ask myself, “If you identify as a medical doctor, why abandon it for politics? Maybe you aren’t good at it?”

On the flip side, I heard an unusual attack ad against Katie Hobbs (Dem Gov), pointing out that when she was an instructor, her students disliked her, and 0% would take another class with her. That she was unprepared, disorganized, and politicized her instruction. I found that kind of attack ad refreshing, because the same skills she failed at as a teacher would be needed as governor.

Unfortunately for Abdul. faking being a doctor” is a significant method now used in
immigration fraud. The scam primarily works through two very different methods:
<><>individuals posing as doctors—
<><>corrupt medical professionals sell fraudulent medical waivers to immigrants already in the US.

In the United States, applicants for naturalization must pass an English proficiency and U.S. civics test. However, the government allows a waiver (Form N-648) if a licensed doctor certifies that the applicant has a physical or mental disability preventing them from learning.

Fraudulent networks operate fake clinics or corrupt doctors charge applicants cash (often hundreds of dollars) to fake diagnoses like severe trauma or cognitive decline.

Federal authorities have prosecuted numerous individuals for this. In one massive scheme in Detroit, a medical doctor and a psychologist were convicted of fabricating medical records to help over 1,000 immigrants illegally bypass citizenship exams. In another case, a woman operated a “Medical Weight Loss and Immigration Services” clinic using the stolen identities of three actual physicians (including one who was deceased) to forge hundreds of green card medical forms.

Another angle involves individuals utilizing forged medical degrees and certifications to exploit highly skilled worker visa programs, such as the U.S. H-1B visa. Rogue relocation agents and document mills sell fake medical diplomas or employment certificates. This allows unqualified applicants to try and bypass strict immigration backlogs by posing as high-priority healthcare professionals.

International investigations have led to the seizure of tens of thousands of forged university diplomas used for foreign employment applications. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, undercover investigations by the BBC exposed fraudulent immigration networks exploiting the “Health and Care Worker” visa by selling fake “Certificates of Sponsorship” for non-existent medical and care roles to desperate migrants.

When these scams are uncovered, the consequences are severe:

For the scammers, Federal charges of conspiracy, visa fraud, and identity theft, carrying prison sentences of up to 20 years.

For the immigrants, even if the immigrants were victims of a fake doctor who took their money and injected them with fake vaccines (a common scam targeted at vulnerable applicants), their immigration applications are delayed or denied. If they knowingly bought a fake waiver, they face deportation and permanent bans from the country.

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