Marilyn Cote: Fake Psychiatrist Exposed After Years of Professional Deception and Fraud
The fake psychiatrist was unmasked after years of practicing without a license, deceiving patients with false degrees and erroneous diagnoses
Marilyn Cote, who promoted herself as a prestigious psychiatrist and neuroscience expert, has been unmasked as an impostor operating without a license in Mexico. For years, Cote built a professional image based on falsified degrees and misleading claims about her training at renowned universities, such as Harvard and the University of Oslo.
However, recent complaints on social networks revealed that her true academic training did not include studies in medicine or authorization to prescribe psychiatric medications, which shows serious deficiencies in the regulation of medical practice in the country.
Cote described herself as an internationally renowned specialist, claiming to have been born in Rome and claiming to be the “top specialist in the United States and the Netherlands.” She also claimed to be an honorary member of the University of Oslo and director of its supposed Center for Mental Disorders. However, the reality was far from her presentation: although Cote held real degrees in law, criminology and psychology, these did not grant her permission to practice psychiatry or prescribe control medications.
Cote’s deception was revealed by the X (formerly Twitter) account “Medical Quacks,” a profile that denounces people who practice medicine without proper training. According to the complaints, Cote used false certificates, including documents with logos of recognized universities, and even edited photographs to show supposed colleagues and medical scenarios.
She even published her image on the covers of magazines such as the Italian *Grazia*, labeled as "Bravissima Dottoresa", and in other publications such as Forbes, which allegedly recognized her as one of the best specialists in mental disorders in the Netherlands in 2019.
Patients have shared testimonies about their experiences with Cote. One former patient recounted how the self-proclaimed psychiatrist misdiagnosed her with Narcissistic Personality Disorder and prescribed high doses of antipsychotics that caused adverse side effects, without providing any improvement.
The patient trusted Cote due to the strong advertising presence she maintained on health platforms, such as Doctoralia, and the professional appearance she projected. In response to the allegations, Cote responded with aggressive and evasive messages, and even claimed that she owned a percentage of the medical consortium *Fifty Doctors*, a clinic in Puebla that has also denied any relationship with her.
The viralization of the case forced the Directorate of Protection against Sanitary Risks (DPRIS) to close Cote's office in Puebla, after confirming that he was operating without a notice of operation, a health license or a card that allowed him to practice medicine. This temporary measure aims to protect possible future victims until the situation is clarified.
Xavier Tello, a health analyst, emphasized that, although Cote's office has been closed, the Mexican regulatory system must be strengthened to prevent unlicensed individuals from opening new offices and continuing with fraudulent practices.