{"id":2601884,"date":"2026-05-12T19:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T23:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/el-sayed-touted-physician-credentials-without-medical-license\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T19:02:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T23:02:43","slug":"el-sayed-touted-physician-credentials-without-medical-license","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/el-sayed-touted-physician-credentials-without-medical-license\/","title":{"rendered":"El Sayed touted physician credentials without medical license"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fel-sayed-touted-physician-credentials-without-medical-license%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2601884&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful abdul el Sayed often describes himself as a physician, but licensing records reviewed by *Politico* reportedly show he has never held a physician\u2019s license in either Michigan or New York. In an earlier 2022 podcast, he characterized his hands-on patient experience as limited to a four-week sub-internship, joking that he was \u201ccosplaying a doctor.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>Despite this,he continues to label himself as a doctor\/physician in public settings,including introducing himself as \u201ca physician and epidemiologist\u201d at an event last month,and listing those credentials on platforms like LinkedIn. his academic training is in medicine and public health, with an M.D. from Columbia and a doctorate in public health from Oxford,and he has worked in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-surgeon-general-data-supporting-school-mask-mandates-very-weak-masking-is-parents-decision\/\" title=\"Florida Surgeon General: Data Supporting School Mask Mandates \u2018Very Weak,\u2019 Masking Is \u2018Parent\u2019s Decision\u2019\">public health leadership<\/a>,including as Detroit\u2019s health department executive director and health officer.  <\/p>\n<p>Questions about his use of the \u201cdoctor\/physician\u201d title resurfaced during his 2018 campaign, when reporting indicated he did not hold a Michigan medical license. Michigan law also restricts people from presenting themselves as authorized to practice medicine without a valid license. El Sayed\u2019s campaign declined to directly explain why he publicly uses the physician title, though a spokesperson told *Politico* he earned it \u201ctwice over.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>Republicans have seized on the licensing report, and polling shows the Democratic Senate primary remains closely contested among el Sayed, Rep.haley Stevens, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\">Michigan<\/a> Democratic Senate hopeful <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4520046\/abdul-el-sayed-hasan-piker-michigan-senate\/\">Abdul el Sayed<\/a> frequently touts his credentials as a physician, though records indicate he has little history practicing medicine.<\/p>\n<p>State medical licensing records in both Michigan and New York do not show Abdul el Sayed ever holding a physician\u2019s license in either state, according to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/05\/12\/abdul-el-sayed-doctor-physician-00916389\">a new report<\/a> from <em>Politico. <\/em><\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4565264\/cnn-kevin-oleary-redistricting\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018Don\u2019t be a d***\u2019: CNN commentator clashes with Kevin O\u2019Leary over redistricting<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4564234\/democrats-bait-and-switch-boost-nebraska-independent-candidate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats rally behind a bait-and-switch ploy to boost Nebraska independent candidate<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4562941\/spencer-pratt-pledges-swift-arrests-los-angeles\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spencer Pratt pledges swift arrests in Los Angeles crime crackdown<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.listennotes.com\/podcasts\/america-dissected\/from-the-outside-in-with-So8i1hZtP-A\/\">a 2022 podcast interview, <\/a>el Sayed described the extent of his direct patient-care experience as a four-week sub-internship at a small Manhattan hospital near the end of medical school, joking that his role was to be \u201cthe worst doctor on the team\u201d and likening the experience to \u201ccosplaying a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>El Sayed continues to publicly identify himself as a physician, including <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/abdulelsayed\/\">on his LinkedIn page<\/a>. During a debate hosted by the Council of Baptist Pastors in Detroit last month, he introduced himself to the audience as \u201ca physician and epidemiologist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>El Sayed\u2019s academic background is deeply rooted in medicine and public health. After studying at the University of Michigan Medical School, he earned his M.D. from Columbia University\u2019s College of Physicians and Surgeons, later completing a doctorate in public health at Oxford University. He also spent time teaching epidemiology at Columbia before returning to Michigan to lead Detroit\u2019s health department as its executive director and health officer.<\/p>\n<p>Questions surrounding el Sayed\u2019s use of the physician title <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crainsdetroit.com\/article\/20180610\/blog026\/663241\/el-sayed-touts-his-doctor-credentials-but-he-never-practiced\/\">surfaced years ago during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign<\/a>, when Crain\u2019s Detroit Business reported that he publicly identified as a doctor despite not holding a Michigan medical license.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the campaign, el Sayed has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebook-and-twitter-are-stocked-with-ex-fbi-cia-officials-in-key-posts\/\" title=\"Facebook, and Twitter Are Stocked With Ex-FBI, CIA Officials in Key Posts\">frequently leaned<\/a> on his medical background as a central part of his political identity, regularly emphasizing his medical training and allowing introductions referring to him as a physician to go unchallenged.<\/p>\n<p>During <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?si=lZsO4Ja4n9cLoKN9&#038;v=xhS6_Xoz09g&#038;feature=youtu.be\">an April television interview<\/a>, he repeatedly referenced his experience as a physician, and in earlier appearances that year, he described firsthand experience in medical emergencies and portrayed medicine as the defining profession of his career.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan law bars individuals from representing themselves in a way that would lead others to believe they are licensed or authorized to practice medicine if they do not hold a valid medical license.<\/p>\n<p>El Sayed\u2019s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>Responding <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/05\/12\/abdul-el-sayed-doctor-physician-00916389\">to questions from <em>Politico<\/em><\/a>, campaign spokesperson Roxie Richner defended el Sayed\u2019s use of the title \u201cdoctor,\u201d saying he had earned it \u201ctwice over.\u201d However, the campaign did not directly answer inquiries about why he has publicly referred to himself as a physician. In past comments, el Sayed has said his experiences in medical school led him away from practicing medicine and toward focusing on <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >large-scale public health challenges<\/a> instead of patient care.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4558206\/michigan-gary-peters-warns-democrats-ugly-primary\/\"><strong>MICHIGAN\u2019S OUTGOING SENATOR WARNS DEMOCRATS AGAINST UGLY SUCCESSION RACE <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Republicans quickly seized on the report. \u201cMichigan\u2019s Democrat Senate primary is such a mess that the guy cosplaying as an Egyptian citizen and licensed physician is still beating Chuck Schumer\u2019s handpicked candidate,\u201d NRSC Regional press secretary Samantha Cantrell said in a statement provided to the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Polling <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2026\/04\/28\/haley-stevens-narrowly-leads-abdul-el-sayed-in-new-michigan-us-senate-poll-mcmorrow-trails\/89836962007\/?gnt-cfr=1&#038;gca-cat=p&#038;gca-uir=false&#038;gca-epti=z114843p119750n00----l001050c00----u118243e1106xxv114843&#038;gca-ft=39&#038;gca-ds=sophi\">shows a tightly contested three-way<\/a> Democratic primary between Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and el Sayed, who has gained traction in recent months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Abdul el Sayed calls himself a physician, but licenses show none<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2601885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26111101333279.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[73344,79564,72829,79562,79563],"class_list":["post-2601884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-healthcare-fraud-2","tag-malpractice-allegations","tag-medical-ethics-2","tag-professional-credentials","tag-regulatory-compliance-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26111101333279.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2601884"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601888,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601884\/revisions\/2601888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2601885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2601884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2601884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2601884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}