CNN medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta won’t be the next surgeon general, the Obama administration confirmed on Thursday.
Gupta, 39, a neurosurgeon with star appeal, was seen as US President Barack Obama’s first pick for the job. He would have brought instant recognition to the office of surgeon general, a post that has lacked visibility since the days of C. Everett Koop during Ronald Reagan’s presidency.
An administration official said that Gupta had been under “serious consideration” but took himself out of the running because he wants to focus on his medical career and spend more time with his family.
“We know he will continue to serve and educate the public through his work with media and in the medical arena,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of nominations.
The official said there were no problems that would have disqualified Gupta, and it was his decision to withdraw.
Gupta said on Thursday evening he decided to pull out of contention primarily out of consideration for his two young daughters and a third child on the way.
“My wife is imminent with our third child. You know, this job ... takes us away from our children for so many years at once, and I sort of came to grips with the fact that I’d probably be away at least the first several years ... And I just didn’t feel like I should do that now,” Gupta told CNN’s Larry King.
Meanwhile, the person Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner wanted as his chief deputy withdrew from consideration on Thursday, dealing a setback to the understaffed agency as it struggles to address the worst financial crisis in decades.
Annette Nazareth, a former senior staffer and commissioner with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), made “a personal decision” to withdraw from the process, a person familiar with her decision said.
The decision followed more than a month of intense scrutiny of her taxes and multiple interviews. No tax problems or other issues arose during Nazareth’s vetting, said the person, who requested anonymity because Geithner’s choice of Nazareth was never announced officially.
“She did put a great deal of consideration into the potential of taking the position, and she concluded that she really enjoys what she’s doing now,” this person said.
Nazareth, 53, a partner at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, could not be reached for comment.
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