Doctor Mike
Board-Certified Family Physician and Medical YouTube Creator
Mikhail Varshavski, known as Doctor Mike, is a board-certified family medicine physician based in New York who began a YouTube channel in 2016 combining medical education with entertainment-format content. The channel, which has grown to over 17 million subscribers, covers topics including medical myth-busting, reactions to medical scenes in television shows, and explanations of conditions and treatments for general audiences. He also gained early media attention as a model prior to his medical career, which contributed to his initial public profile.
His content has been positively assessed for promoting evidence-based medicine and encouraging audiences to consult healthcare providers. He covers vaccination, preventive care, and health literacy topics, and his reach during the COVID-19 pandemic was significant. He has brought in specialist physicians for topics outside his general practice training. Some viewers who are medical professionals have noted cases where his content simplifies complex clinical questions in ways that could be misleading, and critics of medical influencer culture more broadly have pointed out that even well-intentioned physician influencers can create perverse incentives around health content.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in late 2020, Varshavski was photographed attending a party in Miami Beach while travel restrictions and public health guidance were urging people to limit gatherings. This attracted criticism, including from some physicians, because he had produced content urging the public to take COVID precautions. He acknowledged the inconsistency publicly and apologized. The incident highlighted the tension between the public-health-messenger role he occupies and his personal behavior.
Varshavski operates a medical practice alongside his content work and is transparent about maintaining his clinical activity. His channel relies on sponsorships and advertising revenue, which he discloses. He has been recognized as one of the most prominent physician-led social media channels globally, and his content is frequently referenced in discussions about how medical professionals should engage with digital platforms.