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Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has repeatedly described himself as a “physician” on the campaign trail and in public biographies, despite records showing he has never held a medical license in Michigan or New York.
Much of El-Sayed’s campaign has focused on his medical credentials, particularly his purported experience as a physician. While El-Sayed does have a medical degree, public records in New York and Michigan examined by Politico indicate that he’s never held a license to practice medicine.
New York state law prohibits individuals who lack medical licenses from identifying themselves as “physicians,” a title El-Sayed claimed on at least two occasions while in the state. Michigan law also bars individuals from working “to induce the belief” that they are licensed to practice medicine.
El-Sayed’s hands-on medical experience was limited to a four-week clinical rotation he completed after finishing medical school. In a 2022 podcast, he described the experience as “cosplaying [as] a doctor,” Politico reported.
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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., stands with Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed after speaking at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026 in Detroit, Mich. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
“The perception in Michigan is that he is, at least at one point in his life, a licensed physician,” Chris Dewitt, a Michigan Democratic strategist, told Politico. “That apparently is not the case, and it blows up a big part of his campaign.”
El-Sayed has repeatedly told the public that he is a physician.
During a debate held by the Council of Baptist Pastors in April, for instance, El-Sayed referred to himself as “a physician and epidemiologist.” When Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., referred to El-Sayed as a “physician” in 2025, he did not correct the senator. In June, the Senate candidate included a picture of himself dressed in a…
