Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general under President Trump, recently admitted that he did not adhere to certain standards associated with the role he once held.
Casey, the current nominee for the surgeon general position, has a medical degree but has not finished her residency. So, she’s not practicing medicine right now.
Supporters of Means, including Kennedy, argue that she distanced herself from traditional health care because she isn’t focused on improving people’s health. Instead, she and her siblings have found success as influencers and authors, pushing a narrative of “making America healthy again.”
While not naming anyone directly, Adams expressed in a lengthy post on X that his comments weren’t meant as a personal attack on the candidate; rather, they were aimed at reinforcing integrity within the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), which he felt honored to lead.
Adams emphasized that the fundamental requirements for the role include having a medical degree (like an MD or DO), completing a residency, and holding a valid medical license. He compared this to a military general needing to fulfill basic qualifications before leading troops bound by the same standards.
After Trump’s announcement to replace Janet Neshwatt, there was backlash regarding Casey’s selection for the surgeon general role. Critics highlighted that the nominee should be a licensed physician, citing Adams’ agreement on this issue.
Critics also took issue with Means, a Stanford graduate, for her choice to leave her residency program unfinished.
A former associate revealed that Means exited the five-year residency at Oregon Health & Science University after completing only four and a half years, citing anxiety and a desire to pursue other opportunities. She is a co-founder of a health tech company that focuses on tracking health through medical devices.
Adams, who was surgeon general during Trump’s first term, currently holds a position as a presidential fellow and leads the Center for Community Health Enhancement and Learning at Purdue University.
He acknowledged that there are no explicit legal barriers to appointing non-physicians, but he argued that having a medical license is crucial for leading the PHSCC. He drew parallels to the Air Force Secretary, who may not need to complete flight training legally, yet such qualifications are strongly implied by the associated duties.
According to Adams, the expectations for the surgeon general to be a credible public health authority and a physician are both critical and implicitly required.
