President-elect Barack Obama has apparently offered the post of Surgeon General to famous CNN medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. [WaPo] [via]

Dr. Gupta treading new waters?
img: via WaPo

Gupta has told administration officials that he wants the job, and the final vetting process is under way. He has asked for a few days to figure out the financial and logistical details of moving his family from Atlanta to Washington but is expected to accept the offer.

Dr. Gupta, of course, needs no introduction to the readers of this blog and if selected, will probably, be the first desi and also the most high profile personality to hold this post.

What does the Surgeon General do?

The Surgeon General serves as America’s chief health educator by providing Americans the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.

Dr. Gupta previously worked as a White House fellow with Hillary Clinton. He hosts “House Call” on CNN and also writes for TIME magazine.

While reporting on the Iraq war, Dr. Gupta was embedded in a Navy Unit and performed critical brain surgeries. He also conducted an expose on Michael Moore’s movie Sicko.

The WaPo article also states that Dr. Gupta has both Indian and Pakistani parents. Does anyone know if this is accurate?

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