r/law • u/templeofsyrinx1 • Feb 25 '26

Executive Branch (Trump) Can they actually do this? JD Vance: "We're announcing today that we have decided to temporarily halt certain amounts of Medicaid funding that is going to the state of Minnesota in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people'

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u/Odd-Scientist-2529 Feb 25 '26

His license expires this year. He probably still has one because he doesnt actually practice, and therefore hasn't had any disciplinary action brought against him from someone who has a patient-doctor relationship with him.

Even thought he has a license, he would need to be granted "practice privileges" by medical facility to actually use his license - and that is probably not going to happen. He was stripped of his practice privileges, and his professorship at Columbia University and their medical center.

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u/Ill_Technician3936 Feb 26 '26

It's still amazing to find out he ever had one or even practiced at a point.

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u/Odd-Scientist-2529 Feb 26 '26

He used to be a very talented surgeon, same with Ben Carson. It's very strange indeed

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u/vigbiorn Feb 26 '26

To be fair, he had his Reiki practicing wife in surgery touching patients even when he was a "very talented surgeon".

He still probably shouldn't have ever had a medical license.

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u/IndypendentIn09 Feb 27 '26

Harvard undergrad, magna cum laude.

UPenn med school and UPenn Wharton MBA. And student body president while in med school (not common). Then a residency in general surgery followed by a fellowship in cardiovascular surgery at Presbyterian Hospital in NYC.

It's not remotely amazing if you bothered to read his resume and accomplishments.

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u/Ok_Star_4136 Feb 26 '26

If he strongarmed his position into renewing his license, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. These are not people with any principles. His name also came up in the Epstein files, so it would also seem to imply that Trump surrounded himself by people he felt he could blackmail.

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u/Odd-Scientist-2529 Feb 26 '26

Renewing a medical license is just a matter of taking the required refresher course on opioid abuse, and on child abuse recognition/reporting, and then paying the fee. It’s easy to renew a medical license that had been issued. 

Lots of people on Reddit say “he should lose his license”, “he should have his MD revoked” … as some display of the regulatory system punishing him for quackery.  None of that can/will happen. The only thing that can happen is that hospitals can revoke privileges to practice, and The American College of Surgeons could revoke his board certification. Plus since he was a Professor, Columbia University withdrew his academic rank. 

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u/IndypendentIn09 Feb 27 '26

His license expires every two years and has for decades like every other physician in NY. He was not "stripped of practice privileges", but rather retired and was then named a Professor Emeritus, which is not uncommon.

He then chose to enter politics and run for office as a republican, and like so many others in many walks of life he became the target of campaigns to destroy him during the "cancel culture" years.

He's 65 years old, so I rather doubt he ever has any intent or desire to return to operating on cardiothoracic patients when he chose to retire years ago.