Turn your mindless YouTube viewing habits into something productive by following either one or all of these recommended channels. To celebrate this year’s World Health Day, we have selected five of the best web series on YouTube from real-life doctors and healthcare providers that are worth subscribing to.
We have chosen these channels not because of their subscription numbers and/or popularity among YouTube users, but the overall quality of their contents—from the writing of the scripts to the presentation of ideas—in the service of a global learning audience.
Dr. Tracey Marks (Psychiatry, Mental Health)
- On YouTube Since: 15 August 2007
- Subscriber Count: 506K+
- Total Views: 20.3 million+
- Location: United States
There are thousands of mental health videos that sprouted on YouTube over the years that it is sometimes difficult to tell which one you can trust. But those produced by Dr. Tracey Marks, a licensed psychiatrist based in Atlanta, Georgia, stood out for us because of her professional insights and no nonsense approach in discussing a wide variety of topics in the areas of psychology, self-improvement, and mental health.
Dr. Marks’ videos are simple in style but rich in substance. Her use of a single camera with minimal editing and no distracting graphics in between make her videos easier to watch and very accessible. Each video makes you feel like getting a free consultation from a trusted psychiatrist online. Her contents are not only backed by years of experience, but also solid research and data from reliable sources that she skillfully communicates with her audience.
She is regularly uploading videos on her YouTube channel every week to spread mental health awareness and educate people about some common yet highly misunderstood psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and many more. Dr. Marks has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of general and forensic psychiatry, which makes her an expert on all things human behavior.
MedLife Crisis (Cardiology, Internal Medicine)
- On YouTube Since: 09 March 2015
- Subscriber Count: 370K+
- Total Video Views: 25.4 million+
- Location: United Kingdom
Combining natural science with a dose of British humor has been the strongest suit of Dr. Rohin Francis, the man behind the highly informative ‘MedLife Crisis’ channel. Dr. Francis is a cardiologist by profession, who is based in London, but he covers other topics beyond his area of expertise as well from time to time through the lens of hard science.
What is great about the ‘MedLife Crisis’ channel is that it often debunks certain misconceptions about some of the health and medical trends going on around the Internet, mainstream media, and life in general. Check out his episodes on the Vegan vs. Keto diet craze or people’s strange fixation over so-called ASMR videos for starters.
Most of Dr. Francis’ videos are over 10 minutes long but these are time well spent in front of your screens. His deadpan delivery makes all the sciencey stuff he was trying to communicate easy to understand, especially for those who can appreciate smart people with dry wit. Seriously, you will be doing yourself a favor if you make it a habit to watch the ‘MedLife Crisis.’
The Medical Futurist (Healthcare, Medical Technology)
- On YouTube Since: 19 November 2014
- Subscriber Count: 47.2K+
- Total Video Views: 3.3 million+
- Location: Hungary
What does technology mean for the future of medicine? ‘The Medical Futurist’ offers some answers. This educational channel is founded by Dr. Bertalan Mesko, a physician who holds a PhD in genomics and is a self-confessed science fiction fanatic. No wonder he always has his eyes and mind set on the future.
‘The Medical Futurist’ explores all things medical technology, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, healthcare innovations, and so much more. Here’s a guy who genuinely loves science and technology and hopes all the progress made by humans in those two interconnected fields do not go to waste.
Dr. Mesko is one of the world’s leading biotech thinkers whose mission is to help establish a mutually positive relationship between humans and modern technology. Infusing some pop culture references, unbiased sociopolitical commentary, and market trends while discussing healthcare technologies are some of the things you can expect from this channel.
DocMikeEvans (Public Health, Patient Engagement)
- On YouTube Since: 21 November 2009
- Subscriber Count: 136K+
- Total Video Views: 24.9 million+
- Location: United States/Canada
Dr. Michael Evans and his Reframe HealthLab team have been combining patient and care provider engagement with visual lectures and behavior change strategies to promote public health and wellness. Unlike all the previously mentioned medical YouTubers, Dr. Evans does not appear in front of a camera.
He delivers information strictly via voiceover supported by speed-drawn animations using a sharpie on a whiteboard. Dr. Evans is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto whose interests include primary care, digital medicine, and creativity to name a few. His goal is to help people make more informed decisions when it comes to their health.
‘DocMikeEvans’ is one of the best channels discussing health on YouTube. It has so far covered several topics from common problems—such as low back pain, concussion management, even flatulence—to the more complex ones like cancer related fatigue and genomic sequencing, among others.
Corporis (Anatomy, Physiology)
- On YouTube Since: 18 October 2014
- Subscriber Count: 50.2K+
- Total Video Views: 2.2 million+
- Location: United States
Credit Patrick Kelly for making the exploration of human anatomy sound so fun. He is the guy behind ‘Corporis,’ a YouTube channel named after one of the most influential books in human anatomy “De Humani Corporis Fabrica” (Latin for “On the Fabric of Human Body”) by renowned 16th century Flemish and Renaissance physician Andreas Vesalius.
Kelly, who studied athletic training and holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology, deftly integrates medical terminologies into his scripts backed by simple motion graphics and some animations to make his videos accessible for the average viewer without dumbing down all the relevant scientific facts.
Like so many other successful channels on YouTube, ‘Corporis’ thrives on explaining things. Kelly can be somewhat considered as an exponent of the “context is queen” approach when it comes to developing digital media contents, taking into account his sincere fascination in medical history.
(Editor’s Note: All YouTube statistics stated herein are as of 5 April 2021. Subscription numbers and other variables are subject to change anytime.)