Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.
If you need some quick tips to help cure what ails you, you can always turn to Doctor Mike.
After being named the Sexiest Doctor Alive by People Magazine in 2015, Mikhail Varshavski has turned part of his attention to YouTube, where he shares the medical opinions, health advice, and wellness tips of a board-certified physician. Though he works part time as a practicing doctor, Varshavski finds time to devote to his channel, where he also reacts to TV’s most notable medical dramas. As he surged past one million subscribers, we took a few minutes out of his busy day to ask him about his career.
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Tubefilter: How does it feel to have more than one million subscribers on YouTube?
Doctor Mike: Every time when I open my account, it blows my mind to see how many people are watching my content. I started this channel hoping to make a difference in the world, and now I am getting to the point where I can make a significant impact outside of just my medical practice.
TF: Your audience has grown rapidly over the past year. Why do you think that is?
DM: I think it is because I have taken a risk in an area where many doctors before me have been unwilling to do so. Social media can be a scary place for professionals and at times is even mocked by some as superficial or useless. I think without professionals making their presence known online it can indeed become that place. I have taken the medical information I’ve learned over the last decade and figured a unique way to deliver that information that is both fun and relatable.
TF: What led you to launch your channel, and did any other YouTube creators inspire you?
DM: I was itching to start a YT channel as soon a graduated from medical school, but I held off because I wanted to get some more experience in the field and secure some resources so that my channel would have significant production value. Watching creators like Casey Neistat, I knew I needed to partner up with like-minded folks who had talents that I just did not have (video editing, filming, etc.) The most successful CEOs know their weaknesses and look to surround themselves with talented folks to create the best possible product. Our product is this channel.
TF: How do you manage to keep up with your channel while still working a doctor’s hours?
DM: Well, I started filming for the channel while I was in my final year of residency, which was incredibly hard because I could easily find myself working 80-90 hours a week in the hospital; during this time, it was incredibly demanding. Actually, the two weeks I had saved for vacation I used to travel to El Salvador on a medical mission with AmeriCares, a trip which we documented on my channel.
Currently, I am working part-time for Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center’s Family Medicine department where I am seeing patients and fulfilling my dream of being a practicing physician. The rest of my time I split between social media and television work.
TF: What do other doctors think when they learn about your channel?
DM: Initially, when I started, they weren’t sold on the concept of such a young doctor giving medical advice. However, after the success, I have been able to achieve and the quality of medical information I’ve put online they have become huge supporters. In fact, many of them suggest topics for me to cover on the channel.
TF: Out of all the medical dramas you’ve watched on your channel, which is your favorite?
DM: It would probably be The Good Doctor mostly because I wish I could be that smart and solve many complex medical situations. I think the casting on the show is spot on and highlighting a character with autism brings awareness to a much-needed topic.
TF: What’s the single best tip you can give someone who is looking to live a more healthy lifestyle?
DM: It would really depend on that persons’ lifestyle and what they are doing well and where they could improve. I can say that as a society we are not putting enough emphasis on sleep. We skimp on it and not think about the many health consequences of doing so. Everything from reaction time to weight to mood is dictated by getting the proper quantity and quality of sleep.
TF: Have you found other doctors on YouTube? Do you think more of them will start their own channels in the coming years?
DM: I have seen other doctors on YouTube, and there are some who are doing amazing things for the healthcare industry (i.e., ZdoggMD), but there are also some who are using their degrees to peddle low quality or extremist information to further their own careers, which does upset me some. One of my primary goals in my channel is giving the most up to date, honest, and evidence-based information to help guide my audience to make better health decisions for themselves and their families.
TF: What’s next for your channel? Any fun plans?
DM: Moving forward I want to jump more into the familiar YouTube formats and transform them to be more health-related. In the coming weeks, I am planning to shoot an ASMR themed medical office visit video. Also, I am looking to collaborate with those who are not in healthcare to create some fun videos bringing unique perspectives/backgrounds together. I think it would be fun to see a doctor step outside of their comfort zone and try some novel ventures.
