YouTuber Doctor Mike on using fame to save more lives and fight misinformation

Family physician with more than 13.2 million subscribers issues warning over channels that ‘peddle feelings as facts’

YouTuber Dr Mike Varshavski has said that professional doctors could positively affect the spread of misinformation on social media.

The YouTuber, known online as Doctor Mike, received 1.2 billion views last year, with people seeking health advice across his social media platforms. His YouTube channel has more than 13.2 million subscribers and he has 4.4 million Instagram followers.

“I think doctors didn't immediately go to social media because they were worried about being labelled unprofessional,” he told The National at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai. “They thought they would somehow lose their credibility, their prestige, but that's the furthest thing from the truth.”

Dr Varshavski said using social media allowed medics to teach people skills to help others. “There's nothing more rewarding than seeing an email come across your inbox saying, 'You helped me save my loved one's life,'” he said.

Saving lives

The catchphrase on his channel is “chest compressions, chest compressions, chest compressions”.

“By teaching that on a big stage like social media, we've been able to save countless lives,” he said. “There's actually even a higher value to social media – you could also advocate in your government the changes in your community.”

Dr Varshavski has gained a loyal following, which he attributes to being honest with his audience.

“I found that we live in the era of certainty and false promises and overconfidence and I think, when you lead with that level of humility plus transparency, I think you get a really good result,” he said.

Earning credibility

It is common for people who experience health issues to use Google to find answers, but Dr Varshavski cautioned against believing everything found online. “I think it's because of the quickness of getting an answer,” he said.

“Everyone's first reaction when they get some sort of health information or health news is to pull out their phone and search for an answer. The problem with that is you don't always get quality sources, especially on social media.”

One of the reasons he decided to use YouTube to deliver medical advice is because the platform verifies the content, ensuring that his credibility remains intact.

“YouTube does a step above by verifying who's an actual medical professional versus someone who's just putting on a white coat and pretending to be one,” he said.

However, the spread of unverified medical advice online remains an issue. “It's very easy to go viral when you go against the constitutional norm,” he said.

“The reality is a lot of these conspiracy people don't have the data, they don't have the knowledge and, as a result, they're just peddling their feelings as facts, and that's not good.”

The 1 Billion Followers Summit – in pictures