Doctor Mike

Mikhail "Mike" Oskarovich (During one of the skits, he says his full birth name) Varshavski, D.O. (Russian: Михаил Оскарович Варшавский; born: ), better known online as Doctor Mike, is a Russian-born American multifaceted board-certified family medicine physician, media personality, educator, writer, and philanthropist, who began his ascent as a famous doctor shortly after graduating from NYITCOM in 2014. In 2015, People magazine titled him the 'Sexiest Doctor Alive', from there his popularity skyrocketed. From 2015 to 2016, he did multiple TV shows educating the public and about medicine, however popularity began dying out and he wasn't invited to shows anymore, so in 2016, he began a YouTube channel that aims to explain medical topics and promote healthy habits to his viewers. His videos have custom thumbnails and since 2022, his videos have closed captions. Doctor Mike was born in Saransk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia). He moved to the United States, in New York when he was 6.About | Doctor Mike
Doctor Mike enrolled in the New York Institute of Technology and was accepted for an accelerated, seven-year combined track for a bachelor's degree in life sciences and a medical degree (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) upon completion of the undergraduate program. During his first year in the NYIT medical portion of the accelerated program, after his mother was diagnosed with CLL (Chronic lymphocytic leukemia) and received successful treatment but later died after getting sick, Varshavski has noted that he had to be the one to tell medical professionals to stop CPR as it was only doing harm, he then decided to move back in with his father and get Roxy, the family Husky.Doctor Mike - The Story Of How I Lost My Mom & Why We Got Roxy In 2014, he started a residency at Atlantic Health System's Overlook Medical Center's Family Medicine program,Business Insider - Dr. Mike, the 'Sexiest Doctor Alive', Is Auctioning Off a Date which he completed in 2017. He graduated with a BS (Bachelor in Science). He talked to NYITCOM (NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine) students about the role of social media in medicine.New York Tech - Doctor Mike Talks to NYITCOM Students About Social Media’s Role in Medicine
Doctor Mike uploads Medical Meme Reviews - which recieves the most views, Real Life Medical Reactions, Medical Drama Reactions, and Medical TikToks Reactions. He has a series called Responding To Comments (previously Ask Doctor Mike) where he responds to comments on YouTube, Reddit, and his private Discord. He also has series called Curbside Consult where he and his team head out to the streets and allow people to ask general medical questions, indivdual medical questions are not allowed as it becomes an ethics issue. Some of the videos are more educational and serious in nature such as explaining and reacting to medical news, and medical themed content on social media, during COVID-19, he made a series called Coronavirus Truth, a mini update series on COVID-19. The videos are generally around 5-15 minutes long, and ways of connecting to Mike on social media.
In September 2022, he launched his first podcast, a health related podcast named "The Checkup with Doctor Mike", (formerly The Checkup Podcast with Doctor Mike). During one of his TikTok reactions, he reacted to a woman named Beatriz Amma with a mycobacterium issue with her skin, his team later got in contact with her and she appeared on his podcast, telling her story for the first time in full.
==Early life and education==
Varshavski was born on November 12, 1989, in Saransk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia). His father, Dr. Oskar Varshavski, is a family medicine physician born in Ukraine and his mother was a mathematics professor born in Russia. His father is Jewish, making Varshavski half Jewish. When he was six, he and his family immigrated to Brooklyn. Varshavski stated that the reasons for his family moving were due to his father's worries about the future of Russia and the growing anti-semitism. Varashavski stated that when he would ask his father about leaving Russia, "he would point to [the Russian-Ukraine crisis]".My Thoughts On Russia/Ukraine As A Russian Immigrant
In Brooklyn, his mother had to work sweeping floors for minimum wage, while his father attended medical school for the second time. In an interview, he related that people thought he was not smart because he didn't speak English. Varshavski was given the nickname "Doctor Mike" during his high school years by friends who came to him for sports-related injuries, knowing that Varshavski's father is a physician. After seeing his father's relationship with his patients, he wanted to become a doctor. He went to high school in Staten IslandA Day in the Life: Siberian Husky Edition | Doctor Mike, and he enrolled in the New York Institute of Technology and was accepted for an accelerated, seven-year combined track for a bachelor's degree in life sciences and a doctoral degree of osteopathic medicine. In 2014 he started residency at Atlantic Health System Overlook Medical Center’s Family Medicine program.
==Personal life==
He has an older sister named Dasha, and three nephews named Daniel, Steven, and Ari. During his first year in residency, his mother died of leukemia. He decided to move back in with his father and got a husky named Roxy for support. Varshavski previously dated Miss Universe winner Pia Wurtzbach in 2016. From 2019 to 2020, he dated Cuban-born model Betsy Alvarez, who was first introduced to Varshavski's fan base through his YouTube channel. In October 2020, he mentioned in an Instagram story Q&A that he is single. In his podcast interviewing Joey Sasso in 2023, he said that it was the longest time he had been single, and that his past relationships combined with being single for so long allowed him to learn what he wants and what he doesn't.How Netflix Reality TV Almost Broke Joey Sasso Sasso had asked him if he has trouble being in a serious relationship due to his busy career, which he denied, adding that he only had issues with finding his "perfect match".
Compared to 2019 and prior, Varshavski has been more reserved with his personal life, however, during monthly chairty livestreams on Zoom for Patreon, he shares things that have been happening both career-wise and personal life each month. He once stated on his podcast with guest Marques Brownlee, that he was scared of parasocial relationships and believed that he did not have that type of relationship with his viewers.Unboxing Marques Brownlee aka MKBHD During another episode, with Sam and Colby, his producer, Sam Bowers, questioned the things Varshavski was scared of, spiders, which was previously high for him, had dropped low on the list after finding out that the majority of spiders worldwide are not deadly, scorpions, stayed high because of their deadly sting, AI (artificial intelligence), had been recently added to the list at the highest spot, Bowers reiterated that it was genuine fear of Varshavski's, as he is scared for how far robots and technology could go to possibly replace humans.Colby Brock Diagnosed With Cancer | Sam & Colby
In March 2023, Varshavski revealed on his podcast that he was moving just outside of New York City, but would not state where.Why The Bachelor Is Bad For Your Health | Hannah Brown In April 2023, he stated that checks were being done on the house and nothing was official yet. During a livestream available to Patrons on Patreon, his producer stated that viewers may get a house tour on the channel if the purchase is successful, however Varshavski was less inclined about the idea. In May 2023, he revealed in an Instagram post that he had finally moved in to his house, adding "Can't believe that for the first time in my life I am homeowner... Fire content from the new home coming soon".Dr. Mike Varshavski - Instagram - "Can’t believe that for the first time in my life I am a homeowner 🙏🏼🏡😱 Grateful to be able to celebrate the moment with my guys @danowenscreative @samdonaldbowers Fire content from the new home coming 🔜"
In November 2023, Varshavski revealed to Patrons on a Patreon livestream that a house tour was filmed. He also revealed that his father is "basically married" to his best friend's mother now, Varshavski used to call his best friend - Alex - his brother due to their bond, noting that now they're actually family.October 2023 Charity Stream On Instagram, Varshavski revealed that he has been dealing with grey hairs since he turned 25, dying them black due to embarassment, however he has recently stopped and now embraces them.Dr. Mike Varshavski - Instagram - "I got grey hair when I was 25. I used to hide it thinking that it was a bad thing..."
During one of his TikTok reactions, he reacted to a woman named Beatriz Amma with a mycobacterium issue with her skin, his team later got in contact with her and she appeared on his podcast, telling her story for the first time in full. After the episode aired, he donated $1,500 to her GoFundMe.GoFundMe - Fundraiser by Beatriz Amma : Beatriz's mycobacterium story Via his company Limitless Tomorrow, he donated his Patrons donations (amounting to $3,084) to the GoFundMe, due to it becoming the top voted charity for the month.
==Medical and YouTube Career==
In early 2012, Varshavski joined Instagram to document his life as a medical student and combat the notion that "you can't have a life in medical school". He has said that he was not popular in high school and struggled to talk to girls, and that he was disorganized and unable to speak well in public. In college, however, he committed himself to learning how to talk to girls and put himself outside of his comfort zone, including reading the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.
Varshavski gained media attention in August 2015 when Buzzfeed published an article about him titled "Um, You Really Need To See This Hot Doctor And His Dog" that highlighted his good looks and his relationship with his dog Roxy. That November, People magazine named him "the Sexiest Doctor Alive" in its Sexiest Man Alive issue, and his Instagram account went viral. He lived in Staten Island at the time.
In late 2015, Varshavski established a foundation, Limitless Tomorrow, to provide scholarships to students, and he has raised money for it by auctioning experiences with himself through his social media accounts. In January 2016, the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel collaborated in a $10 raffle for a date with Varshavski; the campaign raised $91,000 for his foundation.
After his residency, he joined a family practice with Atlantic Health System in Chatham, New Jersey.
In September 2022, Varshavski launched a health podcast called "The Checkup Podcast with Doctor Mike" on his second channel, the Doctor Mike Clips channel, which was rebranded to The Checkup Podcast with Doctor Mike. Varshavski interviews celebrities on the podcast, it is centered around health with occasional drifts into other subjects depending on what the guest talks about. During the end of episodes, there are two segments called "Check Your Reflexes", which asks a series of questions to the guest rapid-fire style, and "Patient Notes", where his producer - Sam Bowers - reviews the interview and talks with Varshavski. YouTuber guests of the podcast have been KSI, Marques Brownlee, Sam and Colby, Kallmekris, Zach Kornfeld of The Try Guys, Steven He, and Dr. Ed Hope. Other guests have included (but not limited to) Tony Hawk, Daryl Sabara, Joey Sasso, Chris Olsen, Hannah Brown, Brandon Marshall, and Tony HaleThe Checkup Podcast with Doctor Mike - YouTube channelThe Checkup with Doctor Mike After episode #16 with Hannah Fry, the episodes were moved back to the main channel, and the clips channel's name was changed back to "Doctor Mike Clips"; with the channel description saying "The Previous Podcast can now be found on the main channel".Doctor Mike Clips - YouTube Channel "The Checkup Podcast with Doctor Mike" was then re-named to "The Checkup with Doctor Mike". Since August 2023, the segment "Patient Notes" has been removed from subsequent episodes, whilst "Check Your Reflexes" makes an occasional appearance.
In March 2023, he launched Professionals Media Academy, "an online training program designed for credible professionals in ANY industry who want to become sought-after experts." When people enroll they have instant access to the entire training program. Varshavski talks to professionals in different areas as well as giving his own advice. Each module starts with Varshavski teaching his best strategies, tools and systems. People then learn from an expert interview or case study. Experts included in this program are listed:
* Tony Morrison (2x Emmy Award-winning producer)
* Kallmekris (TikTok comedian with 50+ million followers)
* Austin Chiang (MD MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Medtronic Gastrointestinal)
* Todd Beaupré (Director, Product lead for YouTube homepage and recommendations)
* Angelo Roefaro (Press Secretary of US Senate Majority Leader)
* Keith Bielory (Varshavski's agent - Partner of program, Digital Media and Branding Division at A3 Artists Agency)
* Rene Ritchie (Creator Liaison, YouTube)
Reviews on the program to promote professionals being interested were given by Varshavski's colleagues in the medical field: Dr. Daniel Rubenshtein, a dentist, Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, a dermatologist, and Dr. Danielle Belardo, a cardiologist.
He has made an appearance on podcasts such as WILD 'TIL 9 by LaurDIY and Jeremy LewisDr. Mike Solves The Mystery Illness I’ve Had Since Childhood | Wild 'Til 9 Episode 146, HawkvsWolf by Tony Hawk and Jason EllisDoctor Mike Checks Up on Tony Hawk & Jason Ellis | EP 108 | Hawk vs Wolf, Howie Mandel Does Stuff by Howie MandelOzempic, Gonads & Donuts with Doctor Mike, People Magazines Sexiest Doctor Alive | #131. Tony Hawk, Jason Ellis, and Howie Mandel also appeared as guests on The Checkup Podcast.
==Boxing career==
===Exhibition bout===
Doctor Mike vs. IDubbbz: Varshavski made his amateur boxing debut in May 2022 against IDubbbzTV as the headline fight in the Creator Clash boxing event. He won the match via unanimous decision. He donated his pay to the Ukraine Crisis Relief, a fund to support humanitarian assistance in regions where Ukrainian refugees and others fled.The Mirror - YouTube star Doctor Mike donates entire boxing debut purse to Ukraine Crisis Relief
===Professional debut===
Doctor Mike vs. Chris Avilla: Varshavski made his professional debut against Chris Avila on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. He donated his pay to Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, a youth organisation in New York.The New York Post - Dr. Mike donates $125k boxing purse to Harlem youth organisation
==Controversy==
===Attending his surprise birthday party during COVID-19===
Varshavski was photographed and filmed on a boat in Miami, Florida. His friends threw a surprise boat party for his birthday and he attended. In the photographs and videos, both Varshavski and his friends are seen gathered closely without masks, in other images, Varshavski is seen wearing a mask. When the media was picked up by the internet, due to COVID-19, and him having previously advised his audience to stay inside and wear masks if outside around people, he was heavily criticized for not wearing a mask. Outlets such as the Daily Mail, New York Post, and The Sun reported on it. The New York Post contacted his representatives for a comment, his reps stated "Dr. Varshavski took off his mask only when getting in and out of the water, also per CDC guidelines on wet masks. The boat was privately owned. Dr. Varshavski has always been — and is — a proponent of mask wearing and safety amidst the pandemic. All federal, state and local CDC guidelines related to COVID-19 travel and safety were followed, including boat capacity, testing, and return to NYS protocol.".New York Post - Instagram’s ‘hottest doctor’ called out for partying maskless on boat A few weeks later, he posted a video titled "I'm Sorry" to his second YouTube channel (Doctor Mike Clips).Doctor Mike Clips - I'm Sorry Due to it being uploaded to his second channel and not to his main channel (Doctor Mike), he was then critiqued as people believed he was trying to hide the video. The likes and dislikes are now disabled on the video.
Screenshots from Doctor Mike's Discord were posted publicly by a former member, in the screenshots Doctor Mike came into the Discord himself to explain what happened. He stated that he went to visit his father who resides in Miami, and did not intend to attend any parties. However his friends surprised him with a boat party for his birthday as he was leaving Miami, stating that he found it hard to say no to them and looked up the COVID-19 guidelines before stepping on the boat. He also stated that he was really happy for the first time in a while and let his guard down when he shouldn't have. The screenshots of the explanation being made public seemed to have triggered the team to add a Discord rule of not posting screenshots under sharing chats and personal information between Discord members publicly without permission (the Discord can only be accessed via link from a moderator through Patreon and in screenshots other members names and messages were also seen). The screenshots of his explanation were posted before the video of him apologising was. A few years later, Varshavski revealed on his own podcast, that the controversry made him start therapy for the first time, as the stress from it started interfering with how he functioned in his daily life. In the podcast, he statedDoctor Mike - Warning Harry Jowsey About His Steroid Use & Psychedelics
"I went for a weekend in Florida and I was pictured on a boat without a mask 'cause I was swimming. [Guest laughs] I know it sounds funny, but like, I lost a lot of business because of it. People started questioning my medical ethics...there was like a gathering of people. So they were like, "You shouldn't have done it." No, look, to some degree I have ownership of that. Because what happened was people would take my messaging from early on in the pandemic when we didn't know what was going on. And I was telling people not to go out 'cause we didn't know and hospitals in the city were terrible. We were all struggling in the healthcare setting. And then over the summer in New York, we learned like, okay, being outdoors is a safer place to be. If you're gonna gather, make sure you get tested. So I did all those things thinking I was good not realizing that if someone takes that picture and weaponizes it, how much it can hurt the message. So, I messed up there. But it was a learning opportunity. It was a dark place.. [Guest: How did you move through that mentally?] Therapy, without therapy, I'd be screwed."
==Series==
*Medical Meme Review 
*Real Life Medical Reactions
*Medical Drama Reactions
*Wednesday Checkup (formerly)
*Responding To Comments (previously Ask Doctor Mike)
*Coronavirus Truth (temporary series documenting the first year of COVID-19)
*The Checkup with Doctor Mike (formerly The Checkup Podcast with Doctor Mike)
*Curbside Consult/Street Medicine
*Medical TikToks Reactions
==Subscriber milestones==
== Quotes ==
*"It's like a fire Pokemon"
*"CHEST COMPRESSIONS, CHEST COMPRESSIONS, CHEST COMPRESSIONS"
*"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."
*"As always, stay happy and healthy" Doctor Mike's outro.
*"PEEWOOP!" A common part of Doctor Mike's intro.
*"Yes, I store my nuts in my dishwasher and I put them in a drinking glass."
*"Girls love getting sniffed."
*"Yo, facts on facts on facts on facts."
*"Those are 2 inches deep, good rhythm, that's better than a human can probably do"
*"Chlorophyll?"
*"A map of the United States if it was an Oregon donor. That's funny. Get it? 'Cause organ donor. But this is an Oregon donor."
*"We use bug for too many terms. A bacteria? Bug. Virus? Bug. Which virus? Who knows. A bunch of bugs. Parasite? Bug. Got a tick bite? Bug. Like pretty much if you go to a doctor, and they write something about like a bug, there's like a 50% chance likelihood that they're getting it right."
*"Person has an allergic reaction. Dr Mike: After all why not? Why shouldn't I talk about when I saved someone on a plane? All right, I'll stop telling that story." Reviewing a meme someone made about him.
==Trivia==
*He was named the Sexiest Doctor Alive in 2015 by People Magazine, BuzzFeed also later made an article solely about him being a hot doctor who has a husky; he offered to hand the Sexiest Doctor Alive title over to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who declined.Face to Face With Dr. Fauci | The Truth Is…”It’s Almost Over”
*He has two dogs; Roxy (the Varshavski family's female Siberian Husky, is currently living with Varshavski's father), and Bear (a Newfoundland dog, who lives with Mike).
**Roxy has her right front leg entirely amputated due to a poorly treated sarcoma.My Husky Lost Her Leg (but shouldn’t have)
**Varshavski had intended to get Bear certified as an Emotional Support Animal to help in hospitals before 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed this as he stated that it would be too easy for Bear to transfer bacteria from human to human, and too complicated to wash him in between visits.
**On May 19, 2024, he adopted a puppy also from the Newfoundland breed called Rib, who now lives with him and Bear since then.
* His middle name is Oskarovich, which means Son of Oskar. His father's name is Oskar Varshavski, and is also a doctor of osteopathic medicine.limitlesstomorrow.org
*He has played Minecraft while reviewing Minecraft hospital builds, and his username is "Doctor_Mike"Real Doctor Reviews Minecraft Hospital Builds (5:33) he had Logdotzip help guide him through Minecraft.Real Doctor Reviews Minecraft Hospital Builds (0:20)
*He pranks other doctors in a video.Prank Calling Doctors Goes Wrong
*He has green eyes as noted in the comments section.The (incomplete) Truth About Pregnancy and COVID-19 VaccinesThe (incomplete) Truth About Pregnancy and COVID-19 Vaccines - YouTube
*He is afraid of scorpions, a fear he previously attempted to conquer, which has stayed high because of their deadly sting.
*He is afraid of artifical intelligence, which had been recently added to his list at the highest spot, after playing around with ChatGPT. He reiterated that he was scared about how far robots and technology could go to possibly replace humans.
*In 2023, he became a homeowner for the first time, remaining in New York, but moving outside of New York City.Dr. Mike Varshavski (@doctor.mike) on Instagram
**On December 17, 2023, he uploaded a House Tour video.Doctor Mike - I Bought My First Home | House Tour
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