Everything You Wanted to Know About Surgeon General Nominee Vivek Murthy (But Were Too Lazy to Google)

You may have heard the name Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy floating around the Interwebs this week. That’s because the 36-year old was officially nominated by President Barack Obama on Monday, November 18 to fill the office of Surgeon General, which has been vacant since July. If he occupies the four-year position, Murthy becomes the first Indian-American Surgeon General and also the youngest.

Sure he has an impressive resume. Undergrad at Harvard. Yale MD/MBA program. Co-founder and president of Doctors for America. But we asked ourselves, what else does the young doctor do when he’s not busy saving lives at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and teaching at Harvard? His Facebook page tells us he enjoys listening to U2, hip-hop and Enya, as well as watching Glee, but what else should you know about him? Here’s what we found out.

The man likes his veggies. He doesn’t just talk the talk. According to an article in the Boston Globe, Dr. Murthy’s refrigerator reflects his commitment to  health. “The shelves, when they’re not empty, contain foods like unflavored almond milk, raw carrots, and high-protein grains, reflecting a healthy lifestyle that includes the daily practice of yoga.” Basically everything you want in a guy who serves as the administration’s top official on public health issues.

He knows a thing or two about public office. The good doctor was a member of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health, an advisory group was appointed by President Obama in accordance with the Affordable Care Act to advise the National Prevention Council — a cabinet-level council of 17 federal agencies chaired by the Surgeon General. Here’s Dr. Murthy taking the oath back in 2011.

He’s like the best uncle ever. According to the Globe, “While he is of the age where many of his friends are marrying and having children, he is the single, honorary uncle to many, sending gifts as soon as a happy occasion is announced.”

He pays it forward. Murthy was born in England, but his family immigrated to Miami, Florida, when he was just three years old. His father grew up in Hallegere village in the Mandya District of Karnataka in southern India. As a young undergraduate at Harvard, Murthy co-founded VISIONS Worldwide, Inc., a nonprofit organization that organized HIV/AIDS preventive education and empowerment programs in India and the United States. Two years later, he also co-founded Swasthya, a community health partnership to promote basic health education, clinical care, and social support in Sringeri, India.

Kishwer Vikaas is co-founder of and editor for The Aerogram. Follow her on Twitter at @phillygrrl or email her at editors@theaerogram.com. Follow The Aerogram on Twitter at @theaerogram.