Doctor Oz To Respond To Critics

Dr. Mehmet Oz has issued a video response to a group of physicians calling for his removal from the faculty at Columbia University, saying: "We will not be silenced. We will not give in."

In a preview clip from Thursday's The Dr. Oz Show released Tuesday, Oz says: "I know I've irritated some potential allies in our quest to make America healthy. No matter our disagreements, freedom of speech is the most fundamental right we have as Americans. And these 10 doctors are trying to silence that right."

So I vow to you right here and right now: We will not be silenced. We will not give in."

Oz is expected to respond in full when his show airs Thursday, reported The NY Times.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cardiothoracic surgeon will address the letter written by 10 top doctors that was sent to Columbia last week, demanding his removal from the faculty. The letter questioned the authenticity of Dr. Oz's weight-loss drugs and his “baseless and relentless opposition to the genetic engineering of food crops." The letter also cites Oz's "egregious lack of integrity" for promoting what the doctors call "quack treatments."

The Times also reported that, on Thursday's show, Dr. Oz will address specifically the credibility of the physicians who wrote the letter and will stand by his position that genetically modified foods should be labeled.