If we find ourselves off track in life, how can we ground ourselves and find our flow again?

When Josh Groban first stepped on stage as a shy 7th grader assigned a solo by his music teacher, his own mother didn’t know he could sing. Fast-forward three decades, and Josh has sold 35 million records worldwide. Josh’s rise to fame as a singer, songwriter and actor happened relatively quickly, he says, and along the way, he sometimes lost sight of what he cared about, pursued the wrong things, and experienced loneliness and depression. Through those difficult times, Josh sought therapy and built deeper connections with loved ones and learned to turn to them for support.

In this episode, Dr. Murthy and Josh Groban explore the challenges of navigating life when it becomes overwhelming, the power of the arts to heal, the importance the arts for young people, and how music has the power to transport us.

(07:09) Did Josh ever imagine his music could bring healing for people?

(09:30) Why are teachers so important for young artists?

(08:18) How Josh dealt with self-doubt

(23:01) What helped ground Josh as his fame grew?

(27:03) How does Josh know when he’s chasing the right things?

(33:34) How does Josh find the balance between hustle and flow?

(40:32) The isolation of fame

(49:43) The courage to work with a therapist

(55:30) The power behind Josh’s song “River”

(01:04) What do the arts do for our mental health & well-being?

(01:07:36) How is Josh Groban supporting the arts for young people?

(01:10:12) Why does Dr. Murthy feel so connected to Josh Groban?

(01:13:36) Why should we pursue experiencing the arts in our lives?

(01:17:02) Where has Dr. Murthy turned for inspiration or solace in music?

(01:18:47) Can we create more access to the arts for young people and turn STEM to STEAM?

Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls 

Josh Groban, Singer and Actor

Instagram: @joshgroban

Facebook: @joshgroban

About Josh Groban

Josh Groban possesses one of the most outstanding and instantly recognizable voices in music. A powerhouse vocalist and dynamic renaissance man, he has sold over 35 million albums worldwide. ATony, EMMY, and five-time GRAMMY Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actor, and philanthropist, his catalog spans a series of chart-topping blockbuster albums, including “Josh Groban” (5x-platinum), “Closer” (6x-platinum), “Noël” (6x-platinum), “Awake” (2x-platinum), “Illuminations”, “All That Echoes” (gold), “Stages” (gold), his first UK #1 album, “Bridges”, and his most recent release, “Harmony”. Along the way, he has packed arenas throughout North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Asia.

Groban made his Broadway debut in 2016 with a starring role in “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” for which he garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actor In A Musical. In the spring of 2023, Josh took to Broadway once again, performing in the highly anticipated revival of “Sweeney Todd”, playing the title role which earned him Tony and GRAMMY Nominations along with widespread acclaim.

Groban is also a known presence on television, with appearances on “Glee”, “The Simpsons”, “The Office”, “CSI: NY, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, and “The Crazy Ones” as well as in the feature films “Coffee Town”, “Muppets Most Wanted”, and “Crazy, Stupid, Love”. In addition, he starred in the NETFLIX series “The Good Cop” in 2018.

In 2022, he returned to the hallowed stage of Radio City Music Hall for his Great Big Radio City Show residency and launched a nation-wide live tour. Also that year, Groban also starred in ABC’s special “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” as none other than the Beast.

Groban remains an active arts education philanthropist and advocate, and his Find Your Light Foundation helps enrich the lives of young people through arts, education, and cultural awareness.

What does Dr. Ruth have to say about facing loneliness?

Dr. Ruth Westheimer was a legend who broke taboos around talking about sex and relationships. At her core, she cared deeply about human connection. In 2023, she was named the nation’s first honorary Ambassador to Loneliness for the state of New York.

In honor of Dr. Ruth, who passed in July 2024, the Surgeon General offers a remembrance and shares a few nuggets of wisdom she recorded while working on her last book, “The Joy of Connections.”

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

Dr. Ruth, Sex Therapist & Author

Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer broke stigmas for more than forty years, beginning in the 1980s with her nationally syndicated radio show “Sexually Speaking”. She authored or co-authored forty-six books on many topics and was named New York’s Ambassador to Loneliness, the first such position in the United States. A beloved therapist known to millions as “Dr. Ruth,” she passed away in July 2024.

Parental well-being is linked to the well-being of kids – it affects kids’ health, their learning, and, ultimately, their futures.

But right now, parents and caregivers are incredibly stressed. That stress is harder to manage when you feel you’re on your own, which is why it’s concerning that parents, particularly single parents, report high levels of loneliness.

In this week’s episode of House Calls, Dr. Murthy talks about why we need a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize parents’ well-being. He also reads a preview of his latest advisory, Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents.

Learn more at https://surgeongeneral.gov/parents.

(00:02)    Why is parent mental health so important?
(00:54)    What is The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Parent Mental Health and Well-Being?
(01:12)    Why is parenting one of the hardest jobs?
(02:22)    Why is parenting so essential to our society as a whole?
(02:55)    What are some modern-day parenting challenges?
(04:39)    What has the U.S. Surgeon General learned in his conversations with parents across America?
(05:18)    How can parents’ mental health and well-being be better-supported?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

What does it mean to succeed when you’ve reached the Olympic podium? How do you separate that success from your sense of self-worth?

The world knows Chloe Kim as one of the greatest athletes ever. At 17, Chloe was the youngest person to win an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding. She was the first to win two gold medals in the Halfpipe. She was the first female snowboarder to have landed back-to-back 1080s. She is the first athlete ever to win all four major snowboarding titles in the Olympics, Worlds, Youth Olympics and X Games.

Under the pressure and expectations of the world, how does Chloe stay true to herself? Now 24, Chloe holds so much wisdom. Grappling with her incredible success, she has sought to understand what truly matters - insights that have come from her moments of pain and struggle. In this conversation, Chloe opens up about how she found her way through her depression and anxiety. And how she finds inner peace. As the children of immigrant parents, Chloe and the Surgeon General talk about family and what the American Dream means to them.

Ultimately, this episode is a meditation on where we find meaning in life.

(00:03:15) Dr. Murthy and Chloe sort out Team Dog vs Team Cat tension.

(00:05:38) Where did Chloe’s love of snowboarding come from?

(00:08:55) What inspired Chloe’s parents to come to America?

(00:12:45) What were the early days of snowboarding like for Chloe?

(00:14:25) How Chloe learned to be fearless on the slopes & off the slopes

(00:17:27) How do people’s expectations of success affect Chloe?

(00:20:50) How did Chloe get through her mental health struggles?

(00:25:05) How did Chloe turn to therapy?

(00:27:45) What brings Chloe (and Dr. Murthy) inner peace?

(00:32:58) How do you live a life that’s grounded in love?

(00:38:20) What gives Chloe a sense of purpose when things get hard?

(00:39:41) Chloe’s evolving definition of success.

(00:44:12) Chloe on her relationship to self-worth and loving herself.

(00:47:04) What is Chloe’s relationship to social media?

(00:52:17) What does Chloe want her parents to know about what they mean to her?

Special thanks to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition for collaboration on this episode.

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

Chloe Kim, Snowboarder

Instagram: @chloekim

About Chloe Kim
The 2022 Winter Olympics cemented Chloe Kim as the female face of both snowboarding and action sports when she became the first female in history to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in halfpipe snowboarding. After being accepted to Princeton University, Kim took the 2019–20 season off from competing to focus on her education. Returning in January 2021, after a 20-month hiatus from snowboarding competition, Kim continued her dominance of the sport, winning all 4 women’s superpipe events in the 2020–21 season including her seventh X Games gold medal and her second World Championship.

Kim has had just as much success off the mountain as she’s had on it. She’s been featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list, and Time’s 30 Most Influential Teens list (3 years in a row), as well as the cover of Time Magazine, Shape Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Kids, and ESPN Magazine. She also had an appearance in a Maroon 5 video and the Charlie’s Angels reboot. Additionally, Kim has taken home 5 ESPY Awards, the 2022 Daring to Disrupt Award at Glamour Women of the Year Awards, 3 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports Awards, and 2 Laureus World Sports Awards. Kim was appointed as a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition on March 24, 2023, for a 2-year term. Kim, whose parents emigrated from Korea, now lives in Los Angeles and has been recognized for her positive impact in the Asian American community.

What does coming close to death teach us about living?

Sebastian Junger is not a stranger to danger and death. As an award-winning journalist and author of “The Perfect Storm,” and “Tribe,” he has spent his career covering humans in harrowing situations, from massive storms at sea to the front lines of wars. In his recent memoir, “In My Time of Dying,” Sebastian considers his near-death experience from a ruptured aneurysm and his unexpected encounter with his deceased father. How did almost dying change his view on the purpose of living?

His words are at once stark and soulful, and they are filled with truths that can help us lead a more meaningful and fulfilling life. 

(03:17) Sebastian Junger’s near-death experience

(14:56) How Sebastian came to look at nearly dying as a sacred experience

(21:09) How does Sebastian make sense of the vision he had of his father?

(33:57) Did nearly dying affect how Sebastian is raising his children?

(39:26) Where does Sebastian Junger see love fitting into our lives?

(48:19) How do we build that sense of unity that comes with feeling part of a tribe?

(56:09) How can we set aside differences and find the humanity in one another?

(01:01:08) How does Sebastian Junger think about purpose?

(01:02:23) Why is Sebastian Junger so proud of being able to comfort his daughter?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

Sebastian Junger, Journalist & Filmmaker

Instagram: @sebastianjungerofficial

X: @sebastianjunger

Facebook: @sebastianjunger

About Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger is the New York Times bestselling author of Tribe, War, Freedom, A Death in Belmont, Fire, and The Perfect Storm, and codirector of the documentary film Restrepo, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the winner of a Peabody Award and the National Magazine Award for Reporting.

In celebration of World Friendship Day, the Surgeon General invites an old friend and House Calls producer to talk about how their deep connection has seen them through the best of times and the worst of times, sustaining them both personally and professionally.

(00:28) House Calls gets personal as Dr. Murthy introduces an old friend (who is also a House Calls producer)

(01:56) How Dr. Murthy and his friend Ann Kim met

(03:27) How many marriages have resulted from Dr. Murthy’s personal pastime of matchmaking?

(03:54) How has Dr. Murthy and Ann Kim’s friendship cultivated a focus on social connection?

(04:44) How can we find the light in other people?

(05:28) Why is talking with a friend in challenging times so helpful?

(08:38) How can a friend help us explore our interests and find our focus?

(11:29) How can we help children foster deep friendship with their siblings?

(13:27) Dr. Murthy shares his favorite poem about friendship.

(16:11) How can we inspire more friendship?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

Ann Kim, House Calls Producer and Friend

Instagram: @annkimannkim

About Ann Kim 

Ann Kim is Chief Innovation & Design Officer at the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. In this role, Ann and her team aim to bring creativity and design thinking to government, modernizing and humanizing ways to advance public health. She oversees the surgeon general’s website, first-ever podcast (“House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy”), and creative development of new products and initiatives. She served as Chief Design Officer during Dr. Vivek Murthy’s previous tenure from 2016-2017, developing campaigns to address substance use, opioids prescribing, and emotional well-being.

Prior to public service, Ann served as as executive director of health and well-being at global design firm IDEO. During her decade at IDEO, her portfolio included the design of HIV-prevention products, digital mental health tools, and new models of healthcare delivery.

In the first decade of her career, Ann was a producer and filmmaker for public television. Her credits include the award-winning PBS/Frontline series “The Age of AIDS” and “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” the landmark documentary series on the social determinants of health. She has reported for the public radio from Botswana, India, and North Korea. Her latest documentary, “Lovesick,” is about a physician in India who is also a matchmaker for her HIV-positive single patients.

Ann is a graduate of Harvard College, with a joint degree in Anthropology & the Study of Religion. She is a board member of Noora Health. And, unlike her dear friend the Surgeon General who identifies as a cat person, she considers herself a dog person.

The Surgeon General and Selena Gomez, singer, actress, and founder and creator of Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund, take the stage at the Rare Beauty Mental Health Summit to talk about loneliness, connection, and the power of talking about our mental health.

(02:42)   Why is bringing people together to talk about mental health so important to Selena?

(03:49)   Why has loneliness and connection become a focus of the Surgeon General’s work?

(07:15)   How does Selena manage her relationship with social media?

(08:31)   What has Dr. Murthy learned about the impact of social media on young people?

(13:46)   Why is Selena personally committed to providing support for mental health?

(15:28)   What’s the difference between loneliness and isolation?

(20:34)   Does Selena have one thing she does each day to stay connected with friends and family?

(22:27)   What makes Selena and the Surgeon General hopeful about the future of mental health?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.

Selena Gomez, Singer, Actress & Philanthropist
Instagram: @selenagomez
X: @selenagomez
Facebook: @selena

About Selena Gomez

In addition to being an award winning actress, producer, Grammy nominated recording artist, philanthropist, and mental health advocate, Selena is the Founder & Creator of Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund, which she launched simultaneously in 2020. Selena created Rare Beauty with a mission to break down unrealistic standards of perfection and help people celebrate their individuality by redefining what beautiful means. As part of her commitment to addressing mental health and self-acceptance, one percent of annual Rare Beauty sales go directly to the Rare Impact Fund to expand access to mental health services for young people around the world.

What makes us successful?  

What makes our lives fulfilling? 

Are they the same things? 

We’re exposed to so many ideas of what is success, it’s not always easy to be clear on what path best serves us. This episode’s guest, Adam Grant, is an organizational psychologist and expert on what motivates us, what gives us meaning, and how we can live more generous and creative lives.

This conversation takes some personal turns, with Adam and the Surgeon General talking about their friendship, marriage, kids, and recent struggles, including a shared tendency to seek out the approval of others. They open up about failures and how we can learn from them. 

Adam also shares an unconventional idea for helping his kids feel valued and loved. Listen as this episode gets real about what’s at the heart of a fulfilling life.

(03:30)    How does Adam Grant define success?

(07:44)    Are fame, fortune, and power really the values we need for successful lives?

(12:05)    Why do character and values matter and how do we cultivate them? 

(20:08)    How does Adam create boundaries for tech and social media in his own life?

(27:01)    How does Adam extend what he studies as an organizational psychologist to his children?

(39:42)    Why does Adam find value in being open about his struggles and failures?

(44:39)    How can we talk about our current struggles, even when it’s sensitive?

(46:50)    Dr. Vivek Murthy shares a personal struggle of his own.

(48:20)    How can we address habits and traits that impact our relationships?

(51:48)    Should Meeting Night become the new Date Night?

(55:16)   How does Adam find time to cultivate and maintain friendships?

(01:01:11)    Do we have to learn lessons by making mistakes ourselves? Can’t we learn from the mistakes of others?

(01:07:57)    What gives Adam hope?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  

Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist

Instagram: @adamgrant

X: @adammgrant

LinkedIn: @adammgrant

Facebook: @adammgrant

About Adam Grant

Adam Grant has been Wharton’s top-rated professor for 7 straight years. As an organizational psychologist, he is a leading expert on how we can find motivation and meaning, rethink assumptions, and live more generous and creative lives. He has been recognized as the world’s #2 most influential management thinker and one of Fortune’s 40 under 40.

He is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 6 books that have sold millions of copies and been translated into 45 languages: “Hidden Potential”, “Think Again”, “Give and Take”, “Originals”, “Option B”, and “Power Moves”. His books have been named among the year’s best by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal. His viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021 and the most-saved article across all platforms.

Adam hosts the TED podcasts “Re:Thinking” and “WorkLife”, which have been downloaded over 70 million times. His TED talks on languishing, original thinkers, and givers and takers have over 35 million views. He has received a standing ovation at TED and was voted the audience’s favorite speaker at The Nantucket Project. His speaking and consulting clients include Google, the NBA, Bridgewater, and the Gates Foundation. He writes on work and psychology for the New York Times, has served on the Defense Innovation Board at the Pentagon, has been honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and has appeared on Billions. He has more than 8 million followers on social media and features new insights in his free monthly newsletter, GRANTED.

In this part 2 of their conversation, the Surgeon General explores Dr. Abraham Verghese's craft as a writer -- what is his creative process? And what is the relationship between his writing and his work in medicine? The episode closes with Dr. Verghese sharing one of his favorite poems.

(02:56)    How does Dr. Verghese deal with moments of fear and uncertainty that arise in practicing medicine?

(04:42)    How has Dr. Murthy dealt with uncertainties in practicing medicine?

(08:19)    How did Dr. Verghese’s unusual medical training shape who he is as a physician?

(15:18)    What gave Dr. Verghese the courage to try writing?

(20:20)    What is Dr. Verghese’s creative process for writing?

(22:19)    What was it like for Dr. Murthy to write a book?

(26:41)    How does Dr. Verghese deal with time pressure and deadlines when writing?

(30:15)    Does Dr. Verghese experience writer’s block?

(33:36)    A poetic moment with Dr. Verghese

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  

Dr. Abraham Verghese, Physician and Writer 

Instagram: @abraham.verghese.official

X: @abe_verghese

About Dr. Abraham Verghese

Dr. Abraham Verghese is a renowned physician, author, and educator, currently serving as the Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine. He leads the PRESENCE center at Stanford. Dr. Verghese's work sits at the intersections of medical practice, humanism, and narrative, setting a higher bar for patient-centered care. In addition to two memoirs, he is the author of the two acclaimed and bestselling novels, “Cutting for Stone” and “The Covenant of Water.” In 2016, President Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal; he is also the recipient of numerous honorary degrees. He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy as well as the American Association of Arts & Sciences. His dedication to patient care and his promotion of bedside medicine creates a meaningful dialogue in the medical field.

For doctors who spend years training to make their patients better, what happens when there is no cure? 

This is how Dr. Abraham Verghese came of age as a physician. 

At the height of the AIDS epidemic, he treated a rural population of dying young men, men his own age, who had no future and were often shunned by other doctors. Working with his AIDS patients, Dr. Verghese learned that treating the spirit can bring patients and their families an invaluable part of what they need when facing the incurable. As Dr. Verghese became renowned both as a doctor and a writer, he carried forward his rituals of personal focus on the patient and their families to keep humanity central to his medical practice.

(02:28)    Dr. Murthy and Dr. Verghese recount their first meeting 

(06:14)    How did Abraham learn the difference between curing and healing?

(09:10)    What did Abraham come to understand about doctors while caring for AIDS patients in the 1980s?

(13:08)    How Dr. Murthy got his start in public health during the AIDS epidemic

(17:22)    How can we build a more humanistic approach back into medicine?

(21:20)    Do patients feel invisible these days?

(24:21)    With the proliferation of electronic medical records, how can medical students learn to connect with patients?

(29:24)    How Dr. Murthy learned the importance of the physical exam with patients.

(36:11)    When Dr. Verghese sees patients, what are some of the rituals he practices?

(41:12)    Was medicine always Dr. Verghese’s calling?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  

Dr. Abraham Verghese, Physician and Writer 

Instagram: @abraham.verghese.official

X: @abe_verghese

About Dr. Abraham Verghese

Dr. Abraham Verghese is a renowned physician, author, and educator, currently serving as the Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine. He leads the PRESENCE center at Stanford. Dr. Verghese's work sits at the intersections of medical practice, humanism, and narrative, setting a higher bar for patient-centered care. In addition to two memoirs, he is the author of the two acclaimed and bestselling novels, “Cutting for Stone” and “The Covenant of Water.” In 2016, President Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal; he is also the recipient of numerous honorary degrees. He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy as well as the American Association of Arts & Sciences. His dedication to patient care and his promotion of bedside medicine creates a meaningful dialogue in the medical field.