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A group of physicians have recently criticized Dr. Oz for his alleged shortcuts around medical issues. Specifically their claim says Dr. Oz exhibts "an egregious lack of integrity by promoting quack treatments and cures in the interest of personal financial gain."
The group of physicians sought to have Oz, whose first name is Mehmet, removed as the vice chair of Columbia University's Department of Surgery.
In an exclusive to Time, Oz fired back over what appears to be a difference in philosophies.
Oz says that he has been working for years to get GMO labeling on foods that fit the category. He notes that the lead author of the letter asking for his ouster, Dr. Henry Miller, is on the pro-GMO side and has led efforts to block GMO labeling in California.
"As a scientist, I am not that concerned about GMOs themselves, but I am worried about why they were created," Oz writes in Time. He believes the gratuitous chemicals could be harmful to humans and believes consumers should be informed about the products they buy.
A handful of the letter's authors are also linked to big tobacco industries as potential allies, according to Oz.
The letter's authors, as well as the British Medical Journal, have said Oz has made medical claims that are not backed by evidence.
Oz, who is a cardiothoracic surgeon, addressed the critics on his Thursday show and because of it will inevitably reach more people than the 10 physicians who wrote the letter.
A communications official at Columbia University told the New York Times the school "is committed to the principle of academic freedom, which means our faculty are encouraged to participate in public discussion."
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