Chapter 1: What personal experiences does Dr. Sanjay Gupta share about his time at Michigan?
Hey there, welcome to Chasing Life. You know, it's no secret that I'm a proud alumni of the University of Michigan. Go blue. I went to undergrad there, I went to medical school, I completed my residency in neurosurgery there. But also, my father went to Michigan. One of my daughters now goes there as well.
And I got to tell you, one of the most indelible experiences of my life was several years ago when I delivered the undergraduate commencement address in the Big House. That is the largest outdoor stadium in the country. So this year, when the Wolverines asked me to deliver the 2026 commencement address to the medical school, I was honored, and I jumped at the chance.
So today, we have a special episode because I'd like to share that speech with you all. To all the recent grads, whether it's high school or college, or maybe you know someone studying hard to get in or just get through medical school, I want to share a few lessons that I learned along the way.
Even more than 30 years later, I never take for granted that the education afforded me the chance to say... I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and this is Chasing Life.
Please help me welcome to the stage Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Thank you. Thank you. Wow. Thank you so much. I am delighted to be here. I have so much to say. I'll try and keep it somewhat brief because I know this day is all about you, but thank you, Dean Wang and Dr. Miller and the provost and the distinguished faculty. I'm kind of an old guy here now. A lot of these folks behind me are actually younger than I am, which is wild.
Thanks to everyone who planned this magical day and to all the family members who are here. This is a tremendously big day for you as well. I realize that and I say that now as a father of college age students. But most of all, Wolverines, class of 2026, congratulations, huge, huge congratulations for you. I gotta say, you know, every time I come here, I feel like I have come home.
I've been to more than 100 countries now around the world, every continent, and this will always be home. That's the case for me. And I suspect that it will be the case for you as well, because you've now had this incredible shared experience. I did the same things that you guys did.
I studied hard, had a lot of late nights, learned the science and art of medicine, and made some of the best friends of my life. I love being a Wolverine. So much so that I married a Wolverine. So much so that I am here today at Michigan on my wedding anniversary today. So much so that she is here as well. That's what Wolverines do to celebrate. We come back to Ann Arbor to be with all of you.
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Chapter 2: What important lessons does Dr. Gupta offer to recent graduates?
Embrace that role, never shy away from it. One group of people who will surprisingly not likely come to you as much as you would expect, however, your kids. As was mentioned, I have three teenagers and if they have a medical problem, they go to mom. Mom's a lawyer. She's a divorce lawyer at that.
Some of you, some people will just assume you became doctors because you're trying to get rich, which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, going into medicine for the money is like having sex for the exercise.
I want you to know that I care deeply about this and I thought a lot about this address today and I think out of all the people that I have a chance to address, your years and your sensibilities and now your ability to do some incredible things in the world at a time when we desperately need it, I think has taken on a greater sense of urgency.
I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but I think your jobs and your role in society are more important than ever. In my estimation, you are the new guardians of the galaxy. And that is something that I wanted to talk about today. These are critical times. These are really important times. And I think no one should be content to just sit on the sidelines.
It's been more than 30 years, now 33 years since I graduated from medical school, and a lot of things have changed. The world is a tremendously different place. It's been wild to watch these transformations over the last few decades. We have more faith than ever before, and yet we are more suspicious as well. We value our freedom, and yet too often we live in fear.
We spend more money on healthcare than in years past, and yet we have still dropped in life expectancy. We can treat and even cure diseases we barely understood a quarter century ago, and yet too often the people who would most benefit from these amazing therapies never have access to them. But here's the thing, you have the ability to now change that.
You have the capacity to restore the faith, reverse some of those tragic trends and reassure people who will come to depend on you. It's an awesome task. It really is. It's awesome for society. And I think it's awesome for all of you personally as well, because I got to tell you,
There's gonna be times in your life where the trajectory of your life is gonna seem a little confusing, a little muddled, and at those times, you will come to appreciate just how important the clarion call of compassion can be. You get to wake up every morning knowing your purpose and your passion on this earth, and that is an enormous gift. It comes with obligations, as was mentioned,
You have to protect the legacy of medicine. You have to contribute to its growth. And most importantly, I think you need to always respect the sacred bond between you and your patients, making sure it stays sacred. There is no other relationship like this in society. Just think about that. Gotta be humble. Gotta soak yourself in the privilege of your profession, not the arrogance.
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