The MD count on Capitol Hill remains at a steady 19 (plus Rep. Joe Heck of Nev., who has a DO), as two Democratic physicians enter the 113th Congress' House of Representatives and two Republicans take a bow.
The newly elective representatives, both from California and born to immigrant parents, are Ami Bera of California's 7th District and Raul Ruiz of the state's 36th District. The simultaneously exiting physicians are Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who is retiring, and Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.), who lost her re-election campaign.
That doubles the count of physician Democrats in the House from two to four, out of a total of 17 House physicians, the rest of whom are Republicans. There are three GOP senators who hold MDs.
Rep. Bera was formerly the Sacramento County chief medical officer and a clinical professor and administrator at University of California Davis School of Medicine. Rep. Ruiz earned his MD and two master's degrees in public policy and public health from Harvard University — the first Latino to earn three graduate degrees from the school — before working as an emergency physician.
The physicians in the 113th Congress are as follows:
House of Representatives
Republicans:
• Dan Benishek (Mich., general surgery)
• Charles Boustany (La., cardiothoracic surgery)
• Paul Broun (Ga., family medicine)
• Larry Bucshon (Ind., thoracic surgery)
• Michael Burgess (Texas, obstetrics-gynecology)
• Bill Cassidy (La., gastroenterology)
• Scott DesJarlais (Tenn., family medicine)
• John Fleming (La., family medicine)
• Phil Gingrey (Ga., obstetrics-gynecology)
• Andy Harris (Md., anesthesiology)
• Joe Heck (Nev., emergency medicine)
• Tom Price (Ga., orthopedic surgery)
• Phil Roe (Tenn., obstetrics-gynecology)
Democrats:
• Ami Bera (Calif., internal medicine)
• Del. Donna Christensen, (V.I., emergency medicine)
• Jim McDermott (Wash., psychiatry)
• Raul Ruiz (Calif., emergency medicine)
Senate
Republicans:
• John Barrasso (Wyo., orthopedic surgery)
• Tom Coburn (Okla., family medicine)
• Rand Paul (Ky., ophthalmology)
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That doubles the count of physician Democrats in the House from two to four, out of a total of 17 House physicians, the rest of whom are Republicans. There are three GOP senators who hold MDs.
Rep. Bera was formerly the Sacramento County chief medical officer and a clinical professor and administrator at University of California Davis School of Medicine. Rep. Ruiz earned his MD and two master's degrees in public policy and public health from Harvard University — the first Latino to earn three graduate degrees from the school — before working as an emergency physician.
The physicians in the 113th Congress are as follows:
House of Representatives
Republicans:
• Dan Benishek (Mich., general surgery)
• Charles Boustany (La., cardiothoracic surgery)
• Paul Broun (Ga., family medicine)
• Larry Bucshon (Ind., thoracic surgery)
• Michael Burgess (Texas, obstetrics-gynecology)
• Bill Cassidy (La., gastroenterology)
• Scott DesJarlais (Tenn., family medicine)
• John Fleming (La., family medicine)
• Phil Gingrey (Ga., obstetrics-gynecology)
• Andy Harris (Md., anesthesiology)
• Joe Heck (Nev., emergency medicine)
• Tom Price (Ga., orthopedic surgery)
• Phil Roe (Tenn., obstetrics-gynecology)
Democrats:
• Ami Bera (Calif., internal medicine)
• Del. Donna Christensen, (V.I., emergency medicine)
• Jim McDermott (Wash., psychiatry)
• Raul Ruiz (Calif., emergency medicine)
Senate
Republicans:
• John Barrasso (Wyo., orthopedic surgery)
• Tom Coburn (Okla., family medicine)
• Rand Paul (Ky., ophthalmology)
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