Career Stories

Dr. Mike Varshavski is a celebrity doctor, a social media star, successful YouTuber and a practicing family medicine physician.  His family is originally from Saransk, Russia and immigrated to New York City when Mike was five years old. He lived with his parents and sister in a one-bedroom low-income apartment for eight years, watching his parents start over with their professional lives. His father, who was a doctor in Russia, completely redid medical school and his mom went from being a math professor in her home country to sweeping floors, then eventually became a computer programmer.  Mike was inspired to go to medical school and when he did, he used Instagram to document his experience and social life. During his program, Mike's mother passed away from an aggressive form of CLL, a type of leukemia. The experience taught him how important it was for medical caregivers to be compassionate, empathetic and respectful to all families during times of grief and medical hardship.    Dr. Mike's Instagram accoun