Analysts believe that Sanjay Gupta might be the most influential surgeon general, if he is chosen as surgeon general by president-elect Barack Obama. Many people know Gupta from his appearances at the CNN, but he is also a neurosurgeon.

Even though the surgeon general position doesn’t provide any authority in changing the health policies, it might prove to be a good place from which Gupta will advocate the needs of the people in the United States regarding different problems and controversies. Moreover, the Congress stated that the surgeon general position should implicate more in elaborating solutions and criticisms in what health policies issues concern.

In the past, only C. Everett Koop managed to take advantage of this position by approaching different health threats and putting them into discussion. Problems like AIDS and tobacco use were imposed as important threats to citizen’s health and Koop managed to convince people that AIDS should be considered more as a health problem, rather than a reason for people to socially reject the ones suffering from it.

Speaking of Barack Obama’s decision to choose Gupta as surgeon general, head of the American Medical Association's board, Joseph Heyman, stated that he has the unique chance to make out the most out of this job and to influence health reforms, as he already is a popular and skillful surgeon and public figure.

Sanjay Gupta, 39, is an American doctor and a contributing CNN health correspondent. He is also an associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.