Dr. Verghese, a physician and Stanford University School of Medicine professor, eloquently draws on history, literature, and medical experience to reveal why human touch and the patient’s story are vital to doctor-patient relationships. His family forced to leave Ethiopia due to political unrest, Verghese worked as a hospital orderly in the United States, an experience that reinforced his desire to become a doctor and heightened his empathy for patients he observed receiving varying levels of care. Years spent as a doctor working in Tennessee with AIDS patients led to Verghese’s first book My Own Country and a hiatus from medicine spent earning an MFA at the esteemed Iowa Writers Workshop. Numerous books followed, including Cutting for Stone, a New York Times bestseller included on Amazon’s “100 Books to Read in a Lifetime.” Ultimately becoming a Senior Associate Chair at Stanford, Verghese returned to medicine and continues wielding both the pen and the stethoscope in an exploration of how bedside medicine, the human touch, and the patient’s story matter in an increasingly technological world. A National Humanities Medal recipient, Verghese’s uniquely humanistic approach to medicine resonates with the patient in all of us.
Renowned Speakers
on the Saroyan StageDr. Abraham Verghese
The Patient is the Story
Please join us for our annual special evening event, featuring Salman Khan: One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined. (Date Pending) William Saroyan Theater. Lecture at 7:30pm. VIP reception beginning at 5:30 p.m.
We present the annual Town Hall Special Event in the spirit of thanks to our generous community donors and sponsors.
Evening event seats are reserved and must be purchased exclusively through Ticket Master; please make ticket orders through the Ticketmaster link on our website (Ticketmaster fees apply). No additional fees will be charged if purchased in person at the Fresno Convention Center Box Office: 700 ”M“ Street, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
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