Doctor Mike Criticizes AMA’s Approach to Medical Misinformation

Medical YouTube Star “Doctor Mike” Criticizes Health Organizations for Poor Public Communication

Family physician and YouTube content creator Mike Varshavski, better known as “Doctor Mike” to his 14 million followers, has called out major medical organizations for their ineffective communication strategies in the fight against health misinformation. Speaking at the STAT Summit on Wednesday in Boston, Varshavski criticized institutions like the American Medical Association (AMA) for failing to reach mass audiences despite their good intentions.

Varshavski highlighted a recent example where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted a video claiming doctors profit from keeping Americans sick. In response, the AMA issued what Varshavski described as “a strongly worded tweet that reaches 5,000 people” and produced a video featuring the AMA president “with terrible audio, the screen reflecting in the glasses with no lighting.”

“It’s not about putting on fancy outfits, it’s about being presentable and realizing that fancy cameras are no longer just for the top tier studios in Hollywood,” said Varshavski. “I know how much AMA fees are each year and I know they can afford that.” The AMA declined to comment on Varshavski’s remarks.

His criticism comes amid growing resistance from physicians, particularly younger ones, against the AMA’s traditionally quiet advocacy approach. Many doctors have petitioned the organization to be more vocal about Trump administration policies they believe aren’t adequately grounded in science or research.

Earlier at the same summit, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official Dan Jernigan, who resigned in August, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that professional medical organizations must do more to counter unreliable statements from administration officials.

Varshavski’s critique extends beyond the AMA to federal health agencies like the CDC, which he says have historically struggled with effective communication. “How many times would I scroll past a CDC post with three likes on it? It’s literally the equivalent of not doing it,” he said. “Because if three people are seeing it, you’re just not doing anything valuable.”

The pandemic highlighted what Varshavski sees as a significant void in online medical information. “For years, there’s been a lack of evidence-based voices online,” he argued, which created “a gap filled by grifters.” During COVID-19, this meant insufficient medical expertise to counter rapidly spreading misinformation about the disease, transmission, and vaccines.

“As a result? People were confused. People were making bad decisions,” he explained. Meanwhile, those spreading misinformation have mastered social media platforms “while we all raise our noses in the health care community and say ‘we’re above this.'”

Varshavski’s approach on his “Doctor Mike” channel deliberately incorporates humor and entertainment to reach wider audiences. He explained that his comedic videos might reach 5 to 10 million viewers, creating an opportunity to share accurate medical information: “Had I not made that silly video, they would be completely unaware of the fact that there was misinformation being shared with them at the highest levels.”

He looks to successful non-medical YouTube creators like MrBeast, who has one of the platform’s largest followings, for inspiration on reaching broader audiences. “How do we crowbar some scientific education into these topics so that people are saying, ‘Wow, I normally watch MrBeast, but I could totally watch a Doctor Mike video,'” he said.

Despite his success in communicating medical information to millions, Varshavski remains eager for established health organizations to improve their outreach strategies. “I feel like my channel is just scratching the surface,” he admitted, suggesting that a coordinated effort from medical institutions could significantly improve public health literacy and combat the spread of medical misinformation.