The surgeon general of the United States is not a symbolic role. It is not a branding position. It is not a wellness platform.

It is a job that requires clinical credibility, operational experience and the trust of a country that has already endured more public health turmoil than most generations face in a lifetime.

I know what that responsibility feels like. In 2020, I served as the first chief medical officer for New York City during the deadliest pandemic in a century. Hospitals were overwhelmed. Supply chains were failing. Guidance changed in real time as new evidence emerged.

In that environment, leadership was not theoretical. It required clinical judgment, operational coordination, and the ability to translate complex science into clear public guidance while lives were on the line. That experience underscored for me that public health authority is earned through rigorous training, frontline service and accountability for real-world outcomes. Credibility in this role is built in hospital wards and emergency operations centers, through operational leadership under pressure,........

© USA TODAY