[2][3] Murthy co-chaired President-elect Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board from November 2020 to January 2021, alongside former Food and Drug Administration commissioner David A. Kessler and Yale public health professor Marcella Nunez-Smith.

As an attending physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Murthy cared for thousands of patients while assisting in the education of hundreds of undergraduates, medical students, and residents.

[1] In 2008, Murthy founded and served as president of Doctors for America, a group of more than 15,000 physicians and medical students supporting high-quality affordable care for all.

[22] His nomination met resistance in the Senate by some Democrats, Republicans, and the National Rifle Association of America regarding previous comments Murthy made declaring gun violence as a threat to public health.

[29] From the beginning of his tenure, Murthy spoke about the importance of creating a culture of prevention in America, one that is grounded in physical activity, nutrition, and emotional well-being.

[33] Murthy led the United States through several major health crises – including the Ebola and Zika viruses, the Flint Michigan water crisis, and the ongoing opioid epidemic.

[1] Murthy released the first ever Surgeon General's report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, which revealed that approximately 21 million Americans suffer from some form of substance abuse disorder.

[34] In 2016, Murthy issued a historic letter to 2.3 million fellow healthcare professionals, requesting a pledge to reform the prescription of opiate drugs and the perception of those struggling with addiction.

[42] In a parting address, Murthy stated "for the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the President to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and unique American story.

In April 2020 he published a book about what both society and ordinary people as individuals can do to reduce loneliness in themselves and others, entitled Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.

[50][51] On November 9, Murthy was announced as one of the three co-chairs of then-President-Elect Biden's coronavirus advisory board,[52] alongside former FDA commissioner David A. Kessler and Yale public health professor Marcella Nunez-Smith.

[57][1][58] Before his Senate confirmation, Murthy disclosed a total of $1.7 million in consulting for Netflix ($547,500), Airbnb ($410,000), Carnival Cruise Line ($400,000), and Estee Lauder ($292,500).

He also disclosed hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking fees from dozens of organizations, for example "$30,000 from Duke University Kenan Institute for Ethics for a speech I gave in January 2021.

Murthy is married to Alice Chen, an internist who trained at Yale, Cornell and UCLA, and was the executive director of Doctors for America.

[67] In 2023, Murthy twice delivered the keynote address at American University's fall commencement ceremonies[68] and was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree.