Dr. Peter McCullough, a Dallas-based cardiologist with over 1,000 publications and more than 600 citations in the National Library of Medicine, is facing the possibility of his certifications being revoked.
McCullough was informed in a recent letter from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) that it recommends revoking his internal medicine and cardiovascular disease certifications.
The October 18 letter stated that the board’s recommendation is based upon McCullough’s “public statements … about the purported dangers of, or lack of justification for, the COVID-19 vaccines.”
McCullough was among the first to publish an early outpatient treatment protocol for COVID-19 and raise concerns about the safety and efficacy of the emergency-authorized vaccines.
The ABIM cited testimony McCullough gave before the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services in March 2021.
McCullough told the committee that there is “no scientific rationale” for healthy people under 50 to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The board said McCullough’s claim about the low mortality risk of COVID-19 for those under 50 was false, citing CDC statistics that more than 71,000 Americans under 50 died of the disease.
They also stated that his assertion that tens of thousands have died from COVID-19 vaccines was not supported by “data or any other reliable source.”
“For these reasons, the [Credentials and Certification Committee] found that you have provided false or inaccurate medical information to the public,” the board wrote in the letter, adding that McCullough’s statements questioning the vaccine “pose serious concerns for patient safety.”
The ABIM’s Credentials and Certification Committee (CCC) notified McCullough that the revocation of his certifications was being considered in May before the group met in July to consider the matter.
In June, McCullough sent a letter asking for the matter to be dismissed or for the right to be present and participate or have legal counsel present. He was not granted that right.
McCullough, who is also facing a lawsuit for using his former Baylor Scott & White Health affiliation while conducting media appearances to share his views on COVID-19 vaccines, claims the potential revocation of his certifications is an effort to silence him.
“There is no dispute that my clinical care in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases is top-notch and I am a leading academic physician in both fields,” McCullough told MedPage Today. “I am concerned that the ABIM is attempting medical censorship of my cited statements made in Senate testimony and national TV interviews and using intimidation tactics including threatening unprecedented reprisal.”
Revoking a physician’s certifications can take months, and a physician can remain certified while the process plays out, according to ABIM’s disciplinary sanctions policy.
Before any revocations can be made final, the CCC must notify a physician of its recommended disciplinary sanctions against them in writing and allow them time to file an appeal.
McCullough has the right to appeal the revocation of his credentials by November 18, or the ABIM’s recommendation becomes final. McCullough told The Epoch Times that he would appeal.
The appeal will be held by a panel appointed by ABIM that will consist of “three independent physicians designated by the Board of Directors, at least one of which is a member of the Board.”
The panel could accept the recommendation, rescind it, or impose a different punishment.
At the appeal, McCullough may be represented by counsel, and he will be allowed to call witnesses to testify in his favor, per the board’s policy.
ABIM’s website still lists McCullough as certified in both of his specialties.
News of the recommended sanction against McCullough has spread to social media. On Twitter, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) shared the recommended disciplinary action against the doctor with his nearly 400,000 followers.
“Hearing Dr. Peter McCullough has been stripped of his medical certifications. On what basis did this occur? He has dedicated his life to saving others. This is outrageous and must be reversed,” Johnson wrote in his tweet.
