About Dhruv Khullar

Biography and Background

Dhruv Khullar, MD, MPP, is a practicing physician and associate professor of health policy and economics at Weill Cornell Medical College.[14] He serves as a contributing writer at The New Yorker, covering medicine, healthcare, and politics,[8] and has affiliations with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in earlier career stages.[9][21] Khullar is also a sought-after keynote speaker on healthcare policy.[5][7]

Humanistic Patient Care

Khullar consistently emphasizes listening to patients' stories, sitting with them, and addressing social needs like food, housing, and transportation to foster trust and healing.[17][21][22][19][23] He critiques judgmental attitudes toward 'bad' patients, arguing they often hurt the most and require empathy over shame—especially for obesity.[20][15] Reflections on shows like The Pitt highlight medicine's emotional toll in broken systems.[13][29]

AI and the Future of Doctors

Khullar explores AI's diagnostic prowess but questions its limits in empathy, judgment, and holistic care, asking 'If A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Doctors For?'[3][4][26][28] He sees AI reshaping roles—'The Role of Doctors Is Changing Forever'—urging wise integration to augment, not replace, physicians.[4][30][36][37]

Healthcare Economics and Consolidation

He analyzes hospital acquisitions of physician practices driving costs without quality gains,[1][6] and praises ACOs for Medicare savings, especially physician-led ones.[11][34] Khullar warns of a 'Gilded Age of Medicine' where innovations mask profiteering and policy failures.[2]

Chronic Disease, Obesity, and GLP-1s

Khullar examines GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for obesity, diabetes, addiction, and chronic disease reversal, balancing promise against overhype and root-cause neglect.[12][27] He rejects shame as ineffective for obesity, favoring systemic approaches.[15]

Emerging Therapies and Risks

He scrutinizes unapproved peptides for anti-aging, recovery, and performance despite risks,[32][38] alongside rare diseases accelerating aging in children.[24]

Broader Critiques

Khullar laments undermining of institutions like the CDC,[35] interprofessional education gaps,[16] hospital discharge dangers,[9] and science funding erosion.[10] Tributes like on Oliver Sacks blend neurology with narrative medicine.[25]

Podcasts and Interviews

Frequent appearances discuss ACO savings,[11] hospital trends,[1] GLP-1s,[12] and TV's portrayal of medicine.[13][10]