Arun Veera
Home: Michigan. Age: 40-something; seasoned enough to listen deeply. Birthplace: India. Profession: Family Medicine. Organization: American Red Cross. Title: Family Physician. Pronouns: He/Him/His. Alma mater: Case Western Reserve University; Saginaw Valley State University. Languages spoken: Hindi, Telugu, Kannada.
Current project: Community service. Recent recognition: A patient once told me: you listened like no one else has. That was enough. Recent professional development: Master’s in Healthcare Administration and Leadership. Latest contribution to others: Meals on Wheels and American Red Cross. Hobbies: Large Lego sets, reading, cycling. Last book read: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande. Recently viewed and recommended: The Good Doctor (ABC).
Personality profile: Thoughtful, quietly intense, intuitive. Moral compass: The Golden Rule, seasoned with gut instinct. How do you define a perfect friendship? Truth spoken softly, loyalty shown loudly. What is your greatest joy? Witnessing someone reclaim hope. What is your greatest fear? Silence where there should be conversation. What natural talent have you neglected? Drawing and painting. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Teachers, therapists. What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? Lego sets. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? Silence and a view.
What was your first paying job? Cafeteria worker. What book have you repeatedly read? The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? A striking print of lightning splitting the sky over a restless ocean. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? A residency mentor who believed listening is treatment. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Character is what you do when no one’s watching. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Master the art of being present. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? Telehealth. What is your go-to source of creative inspiration? The natural world, especially dramatic weather over the ocean. There’s something about a lightning strike cutting through a dark sky that reminds me how power and beauty can coexist, sparking new ideas and perspectives. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? Growing up in a middle-class community in India where mental health was a taboo. Shaped how I view empathy, resilience and the importance of accessible care.
What is your big idea?
Normalize mental health as part of primary care, not separate from it.
What change would you like to see in the world? Less stigma, more empathy. What message do you want to send out into the world? Listening is medicine. What mega-trend most excites you? Digital tools enhancing access to care. What mega-trend most concerns you? AI, tech without humanity.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Listening Between Heartbeats. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Denzel Washington. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Gandhi. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? Locomotive engineer. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? My box of old photographs and letters, fragments of memories that shaped who I am. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Surrounded by nature, family and friends, sharing stories, laughter and gratitude. What advice would you give your younger self? Don’t rush to fix, learn to hold space. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? Early thirties, the years I spent chasing perfections. I would rather choose presence over pressure, and self-compassion over constant striving.
Personal mission: To integrate medicine with meaning, healing not just the body, but the whole person through empathy, understanding and presence. Personal motto: Listen twice, speak once. Desired epitaph: He listened. Desired legacy: That I moved through life with curiosity and care, that I sought to understand before judging, to heal before helping, and to leave people feeling seen and valued.