Commonwealth Policy Center

Dr. Casey Means has been nominated by President Trump’s to serve as the next U.S. Surgeon General. Now there’s a debate over whether she aligns with established scientific norms. Means is a Stanford-trained physician who did not complete residency and whose license is currently inactive. She’s specialized in alternative-health promotion—selling supplements and advocating regenerative food systems—which should be part of one’s overall health. But her endorsement of psychedelic therapies, and apparent rejection of empirical scientific methods raises concerns. . While wellness and prevention matter, the Surgeon General must ground public health guidance in the scientific method and hard evidence. The nomination is less a question of ideology than a crucial test of whether science remains the foundation of health-policy leadership.