TexMed 2025 attendees packed the conference’s closing session on May 10 to hear family physician Mikhail “Doctor Mike” Varshavski, DO – the most followed physician on social media – speak on how physicians can utilize online platforms to advocate for patients and combat misinformation.
“Misinformation that's posted to social media spreads faster than accurate information. I'm trying to change that,” Doctor Mike told the crowd of physicians, medical students, and other attendees.
Doctor Mike went viral in 2015 for medically themed YouTube videos that debunk false health care claims. His presentation on how physicians can harness the power of social media was the final CME session of TexMed 2025. With an “I love family medicine” pin fastened to his chest courtesy of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, Doctor Mike took the stage at TexMed 2025 to provide information to Texas physicians on how to utilize the “symbiotic” relationship between health care and social media.
“What I came to realize is that social media and health care actually have so much in common,” he said. “You can have all the information in the world, you can have all the answers in the world, but if you can't connect with your patient, you won't have success.”
“You need to be an influencer … and we need to make use of social media as a tool,” he encouraged physicians.
That tool can be applied to medicine’s most pressing issues, including ones brought before Doctor Mike by the audience in his Q&A. Fort Worth radiologist and past chair of TMA’s Council on Legislation, Tilden Childs, MD, jumped at the opportunity to question the social media guru on how to utilize the technology to fight one of physicians’ biggest challenges – scope of practice creep.
Doctor Mike’s pragmatic answer spoke to the heart of physicians’ mission: “Be on the side of truth.”
In his presentation, he explained that physicians’ online presence can provide patients with a truthful voice amid rampant misinformation, as well as give lawmakers medical advocates ready to clarify and champion health care causes.
In 2019, Doctor Mike did just that by using his platform to call on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require EpiPens on all flights after he administered injectable epinephrine to a passenger experiencing an allergic reaction.
The passenger could have lost his life if not for the quick actions of Doctor Mike. After he took to social media and met with representatives about the issue, FAA changed its policy to include EpiPens in their flight medical kits.
“I'm proud to say that more than 70% of airlines now carry EpiPens in their emergency kits,” Doctor Mike shared to booming applause.
However, Doctor Mike cautioned physicians to avoid common social media mistakes, like sharing patient information online, answering individual questions about a person’s health, or revealing information that could risk clinicians’ privacy.
“I'm not saying social media doesn't have harm,” he warned. “But at the same time, we have to make use of some of these [online] benefits.”
Alisa Pierce
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1469