In 1955, two Indian teachers living in Ethiopia brought Abraham Verghese into the world. At the time that he was born, Ethiopia had just experienced one of the worst spells of famine the world had ever seen. This meant that the world Verghese was born into was one where many people struggled to survive; a world of famine and conflict.
Although not much is known about Verghese's earlier years, we do know that he grew up in the Ethiopian city of Addis Abeba. Both of Verghese's parents were devout Christians and were practicing members the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. At the time that Verghese was living there, the city was still recovering from a World War II invasion by the Italians. For a brief period, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) presided over the area. Although the OAU claimed that they would bring equality to the people of Ethiopia, many still suffered and continued to live in poverty.
Verghese did begin his medical degree in Addis Abeba, but when the Ethiopian leader Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed, political unrest lead to a mass exodus from the country in 1973. As Verghese was seeking stability, he decided against becoming a refugee and instead joined his parents in the US.
Verghese's arrival in the States was the beginning of a life that was unfamiliar to him. After departing from a country where violence, riots and famine were widespread, he began life in Tennessee. In contrast to his previous life, the state was at the height of southern rock culture, civil rights movements and a rich culinary legacy of Memphis barbecues.
While there he put his medical skills to the test by working as a ward orderly, before leaving to complete his medical education. Although the work of an orderly is a far cry from the advanced practice that medical students grow accustomed to, Verghese was deeply moved by the experiences he had there. The plight of patients, the poor care they received, and above all the insensitive nature of the medical staff—concerned more with their own personal goals than delivering fair treatment to their patients—gave him the determination to complete his medical education. These observations that Verghese made as an orderly were what spurred him to make changes in medical systems around the world.
As life in Ethiopia continued to remain unstable, Verghese chose to continue his medical degree at the University of Madras. At the time that Verghese studied there, the University was bringing change to medical education in the developing world. In addition to establishing a department of pharmacology and environmental toxicology, an institute of physiology had been opened. It was these advanced changes that allowed Verghese to return to US and begin his internship.
Verghese returned to the US once again in 1980. It was during the 80’s that thousands of medical hopefuls from the near-east would attempt to establish themselves in the US medical system. The competition was fierce, and to Verghese it was even intimidating. He later described the journey he made from the University of Madras to an intern in the US as "The Cow path to US." The parallels he drew between feeling like an animal being herded and his journey to medical school suggest he did not anticipate just how successful he would become.