What Does It Mean to Heal a Nation? Vivek Murthy Will Tell Penn Graduates in May.

Dr. Vivek Murthy, who served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, will deliver the commencement address to the graduating Class of 2026 at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine on Sunday, May 17, at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

The choice of Murthy carries deep resonance for a medical school graduating into one of the most turbulent periods in American public health history. During his two terms as the nation's top doctor, Murthy led landmark conversations on the epidemic of loneliness, the youth mental health crisis driven by social media, parental burnout and health worker wellbeing, issues that have only grown more urgent since he left office.

Murthy, the son of Indian immigrants who arrived in America with very little, became the first Surgeon General of Indian descent and the youngest ever appointed to the role. In his own parting words from his first term, he reflected that "for the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the President to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and unique American story."

His 2025 Parting Prescription for America called for rebuilding community as the foundation of national health, a message he now carries forward through The Together Project. For the Penn graduates stepping into medicine at a time of deep political pressure on science and public health, few voices could offer a more timely or more personal compass.