Announcing 2026 PSOM Commencement Speaker Dr. Vivek Murthy
March 9, 2026
With much enthusiasm and great pride, we invite you to celebrate the achievements of our graduating medical students at the Perelman School of Medicine’s 2026 Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 17. The ceremony will be held at the Kimmel Center and simultaneously broadcast for a wider audience. We are delighted to announce this year’s Commencement speaker: Dr. Vivek Murthy who served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States. As Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he commanded a uniformed service of 6,000 public health officers.
Dr. Murthy’s work has widened the lens through which we understand forces that shape our health and well-being. During his two terms as Surgeon General, his initiatives shaped national and international conversations, garnered global media coverage, and compelled change across business and non-profit organizations. He has drawn attention to critical, underappreciated health issues including the epidemic of loneliness, the impact of social media on youth mental health, parental mental health and well-being, the youth mental health crisis, and health worker burnout.
In 2020, Dr. Murthy published the New York Times best-seller Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. His 2025 “Parting Prescription for America” laid out a vision for rebuilding community as the key to health, happiness, and fulfillment. This work continues through The Together Project, an initiative focused on strengthening connection and community.
Raised in Miami and an ardent lover of mangoes, Dr. Murthy graduated from Harvard College and received his MD from the Yale School of Medicine, and his MBA from the Yale School of Management. He trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. A renowned physician, public health expert, research scientist, entrepreneur, and author, Dr. Murthy lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Dr. Alice Chen, and their two children.
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Jonathan A. Epstein, MD, Dean|EVP
Jennifer R. Kogan, MD, Vice Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education