the buzz log

Instead of that Dr. Sanjay Gupta guy, maybe the president should've considered Dr. Mehmet Oz as the celebrity medical correspondent candidate for surgeon general. Then again, the temptation to leave "Oprah" for the White House would have been a tough decision for the frequent talk show guest.

Except now Dr. Oz is leaving after five years and 55 episodes for his own program, produced by, yes, Oprah.

The solo TV gig (he has an XM satellite program) is a first NYC-based program for Harpo Productions: "The Dr. Oz Show" may be far from the Chicago mother ship, but convenient for the doc who's a heart surgeon for New York Presybterian Hospital.

But in these hard times, could an Oprah-anointed venture succeed? Dr. Oz has sent his core of female followers packing to Search for the latest things to put in their medicine cabinets or kitchen pantries. A few notable moments in the "Oz" Timeline in Buzz:

• November 2006: Touting his new weight-control book "You: On a Diet," the good doc sparks searches for "steel cut oatmeal," "psyllium husks" and "omentum," just in time for Thanksgiving. Hope that oatmeal turkey stuffing was delicious.
• May 2007: Not once, but twice did Dr. Oz recommend the equivalent of a colonic irrigation for the sinuses: the Neti pot. Desperate allergy sufferers fall for it. He also tried out "rolfing." Please don't do both at the same time.
• February 2008: To reverse the affects of aging, he stimulated a youthful sprint to the Web, and surging searches for "acai juice," "resveratrol," "real age test" and "chia." The seeds, not the pet.

Oz himself weighs in on his segments in his post, "What I Learned on The Oprah Show." His biggest insight: Health advice has to be delivered in a way that hits the "dopamine jackpot of the brain," and that it's more important to listen than try and fix everything.

Judging from past history to predict future sucess may not be good scientific method, but Dr. Oz's powers of Buzz has proven strong indeed. His September 14 debut may be an appointment that fans will keep.