Doctor Exposed as Fraud

To anyone that met him, Dr. William Hamman was
undoubtedly impressive. Not only was he a
commercial airline pilot, but also one of the nation's
top cardiologists.

When not zipping over America while flying the
friendly skies for United Airlines, Hamman was
lecturing at medical conferences, holding prestigious
hospital posts and working with millions in research
grants.

There was only one problem: Dr. William Hamman is
not actually a doctor.

After years of duping some of the smartest doctors
around and even the American Medical Assocation, an
investigation by The Associated Press found that
Hamman had no medical residency, no fellowship, no
doctoral degree or the 15 years of clinical experience
he claimed to have. Hamman did apparently go to
medical school for a few years, but dropped out
before he graduated, the AP reported.

"When he wanted to seek this grant, they discovered
that he did not have an M.D. degree," Marilynn
Marchione, a medical writer for the AP told "Good
Morning America." "And when they checked further, it
appeared he did not have a PhD degree either."

Hamman is actually a pilot, according to a Federal
Aviation Administration spokeswoman, though United
Airlines has grounded him after the revelations about
his deception.

Hamman apparently never treated a patient, but his
colleagues said they were stunned by the man who
was able to talk the talk.

He was an educator and researcher at William
Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., but resigned
after the credentials check revealed discrepancies, a
hospital spokeswoman told the AP.

"I was shocked to hear the news," Dr. W. Douglas
Weaver, who was president of a cardiology group
when it gave Hamman a training contract for up to
$250,000 plus travel a few years ago, told the AP. "He
was totally dedicated to what he was doing, and there
is a real need for team-based education in medicine."

Hamman did not comment on the report, but his
lawyer, David Nacht, confirmed that he did not have
the medical or doctoral degrees he claimed.

"It's Mr. Hamman's desire that he clear up any
misconceptions about his background that he has
caused. He wants to be completely straightforward
about it," Nacht told the AP.