Thoracic surgeon and author Dr. Hassan Tetteh talks about his 25-year career as a Navy surgeon, his life-altering near-death experience, and healing through the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique after serving in Afghanistan. He discusses his bestselling books—The Art of Human Care, Gifts of the Heart, and Smarter Healthcare with AI—and his vision of how physicians can change the world through healing, what it means to heal, and how all medical professionals can turn passion into purpose and save the world, one patient at a time.

Dr. Tetteh gave a powerful commencement speech at Maharishi International University’s 2024 graduation.

Dr. Hassan A. Tetteh is a retired U.S. Navy Captain with 25 years of distinguished service, an acclaimed heart and lung transplant surgeon, and a visionary leader at the forefront of military medicine and health innovation. He serves as an associate professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University and was named an emerging leader in health and medicine by the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Hassan Tetteh talks about his 25-year career as a Navy surgeon, his life-altering near-death experience, and healing through the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique after serving in Afghanistan.

A Brooklyn native with a remarkable academic journey, Dr. Tetteh holds advanced degrees from the State University of New York (SUNY), Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the National War College, with specialized training from the University of Minnesota and Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Tetteh founded and previously led the Specialized Thoracic Adapted Recovery (STAR) team. He is a Partner for Vituity, a passionate advocate for human-centered care, and a leader in expanding access to life-saving organ transplants. Through his consulting firm and best-selling Art of Human Care^® book series, he merges medicine, leadership, technology, and storytelling to inspire transformation in health and healing.

Dr. Tetteh is triple board-certified, a TEDx speaker, the recipient of prestigious honors, including the Alley-Sheridan Award from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation, and was named a TEDMED Front Line Scholar. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his wife and two children, continuing his mission to heal, lead, and innovate.

Christine Albers, host of TM Talks, interviewed Dr. Hassan Tetteh. This interview was aired on June 29, 2025.