The 115th U.S. Congress was sworn in on Jan. 3 and includes 15 physicians among the ranks. Two of the physicians — Rep. Neal Dunn, MD, D-Fla., and Rep. Roger Marshall, MD, R-Kan. — are serving their first terms. Three of the physicians are in the Senate with the rest serving in the House of Representatives. Also, one physician — Rep. Tom Price, MD, R-Ga. — has been nominated to head HHS.
The 15 physician members of the 115th U.S. Congress are detailed below, in alphabetical order.
Contact Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com with any questions or comments on this list.
Rep. Ralph Abraham, MD, R-La. Dr. Abraham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. He originally earned a degree in veterinary medicine and practiced for 10 years before earning his medical degree and practicing at a rural clinic. He is a member of the Veteran's Affairs Committee and Agriculture Committee.
Sen. John Barrasso, MD, R-Wyo. Dr. Barrasso is an orthopedic surgeon by training and currently the chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2007, to replace a senator who passed away while in office, and has won re-election in every race since then.
Rep. Ami Bera, MD, D-Calif. Dr. Bera was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 after a 20-year medical career. He was the CMO of Sacramento County and practiced internal medicine before running for office.
Rep. Larry Bucshon, MD, R-Ind. Dr. Bucshon trained and practiced as a cardiothoracic surgeon, performing hundreds of heart surgeries and serving as president of Ohio Valley Heartcare in Evansville, Ind., before running for Congress. He was elected to the House in 2011 and he currently serves on the Committee on Energy Commerce.
Rep. Michael C. Burgess, MD, R-Texas. Dr. Burgess has served in the House of Representatives since 2003 and is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on commerce, manufacturing and trade. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and has opposed the ACA since it was passed into law.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, R-La. Dr. Cassidy co-founded the Baton Rouge Community Clinic to provide free dental and healthcare to uninsured people. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014 and currently serves on the following committees: Health Education Labor & Pension, Energy and Natural Resources, Appropriations, Veterans Affairs and Joint Economic.
Rep. Scott DesJarlais, MD, R-Tenn. Dr. DesJarlais is serving his third consecutive term in Congress. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in Sioux Falls and practiced as a generalist before committing to public service.
Rep. Neal Dunn, MD, R-Fla. Dr. Dunn is the founder of Panama City (Fla.) Urology Center, Bay Regional Cancer Center in Panama City and the Advanced Urology Institute in Daytona Beach, Fla. He was chief of staff at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Panama City before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016.
Rep. Andrew P. Harris, MD, R-Md. Dr. Harris is an anesthesiologist who continues to practice medicine in Easton, Md. He previously spent time as an anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and as a medical officer in the Naval Reserve before his first term in Congress began in 2011.
Rep. Roger Marshall, MD, R-Kan. Dr. Marshall is an OB-GYN by training and delivered more than 5,000 babies in his career. He served as the chairman of the board for Great Bend (Kan.) Regional Hospital for 14 years before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016. He is an immediate past district governor of Rotary International.
Rep. Tom Price, MD, R-Ga. Dr. Price was an orthopedic surgeon for nearly 20 years before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004. He rose in the ranks to become the chair of the House Committee on the Budget and is currently awaiting confirmation as President-elect Donald Trump's head of HHS.
Rep. David "Phil" Roe, MD, R-Tenn. Dr. Roe ran a medical practice for 31 years as an OB-GYN, delivering nearly 5,000 babies in his career. Dr. Roe served as Johnson City's vice mayor from 2003 to 2007 and mayor from 2007 to 2009 before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2008.
Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD, D-Calif. Dr. Ruiz was the first Latino to earn three graduate degrees from Cambridge, Mass.-based Harvard University, one of which was his medical degree. He worked as an emergency room doctor at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and started the Coachella Valley Healthcare Initiative in Palm Springs, Calif., before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012.
Sen. Rand Paul, MD, R-Ky. Dr. Paul is an ophthalmologist by training, practicing for 18 years before being elected to the Senate in 2010. He ran unsuccessfully to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2016. He currently serves on the Senate Foreign Relations, Homeland Security and Government Affairs and Small Business and Entrepreneurial Committees.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup, DPM, R-Ohio. Dr. Wenstrup arrived on Capitol Hill in 2012 and has served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Armed Services Committee and Committee on Veterans Affairs. He is a veteran of the Iraq War and established a private podiatric practice in Cincinnati where he treated patients for 26 years.