He's a vice-chair and professor at Columbia University, and one of the country’s most well-regarded cardiovascular experts. He’s written over 400 original medical publications and even guest-hosted The Charlie Rose Show. And unlike Dr. Phil, he has an actual medical degree.

With all due respect to CNN’s (TWX) Sanjay Gupta, accomplished surgeon Mehmet Oz -- known primarily as Dr. Oz -- has become America’s foremost resource for medical advice,  thanks to the much-coveted Oprah Winfrey seal of approval.


Oz first came to prominence in 1995, when the New York Times publicized his alternative methods for treating heart patients. Since then, he’s written 3 best-selling books with HarperCollins (NWS) and Simon & Schuster (VIA), and authored columns in Esquire and Reader’s Digest.

While Oz’s rise to prominence was no doubt aided by Oprah’s worldwide influence, he’s no stranger to television, having hosted a number of specials on Discovery Health (DISC). Now the man dubbed “America’s Doctor” will be hosting his own program -- co-produced by Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and Sony (SNE) -- come September. Though the new show is still several months away from its premiere, Oz’s influence -- as a celebrity endorser -- is already being felt.

Through Winfrey’s show and Hearst’s RealAge website, Oz has recently been touting the benefits of resveratrol as a sure-fire anti-aging drug. While Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) is readying its own version of the drug, the industry has suddenly been flooded with resveratrol trials - all using Oz’s name as a selling point. Other online drug trials, most tied to diet and anti-aging, have been inspired primarily by Dr. Oz’s indirect endorsement.

No word yet on how Oz will combat the hijacking of his name as his profile expands. But at least he’ll soon be able to address the issue on his very own show.