FDA commissioner search should not be limited to MDs, PhDs, ex-FDAer Peck writes.
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
FDA COMMISSIONER SEARCH SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO MDs AND PhDs, CARL PECK, MD, a former director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation & Research, suggests in a recent letter to HHS Secretary Donna Shalala."I expect that a dominant issue in your mind is whether a medical degree or a PhD degree is a necessary educational prerequisite for the commissioner of FDA," Peck writes. "From my experience at FDA and my awareness of its present and future challenges, I believe that the next commissioner should first and foremost be a highly effective manager and leader to be able to guide significant changes that will enhance the agency's dual mission of protection and facilitation of the public health."