It’s difficult to go one day without seeing an ad featuring Dr. Jarvik as Pfizer’s pitchman for the cholesterol drug Lipitor. The strange this is that Dr. Jarvik, the inventor of the artificial heart, is not licensed to practice medicine. It’s curious enough that Congress has sent a letter to Lipitor’s manufacturer, Pfizer, asking about Jarvik’s qualifications to be recommending the cholesterol drug. In his press release, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) wrote, “In the ads, Dr. Jarvik appears to be giving medical advice, but apparently, he has never obtained a license to practice or prescribe medicine.” The Jarvik inquiry is part of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce inquiry into drug companies’ practices of using celebrity endorsements of pharmaceutical products. Dr. Jarvik drew the attention of the Congressional committee because he is so often seen on television and he appears to be giving medical advice. Last year, NBC’s Robert Bazell reported that Jarvik graduated from a medical school in Italy because his academic credentials didn’t qualify him for a US medical school. Furthermore, Jarvik never completed an internship or practiced medicine.