"I went the much easier route of becoming a doctor." She supported her husband through two bouts with testicular cancer in their 20s before helping to save him from sudden cardiac arrest in May 2020. Power of Social Media with Family Physician Dr. Mike | Knock Knock, Hi! I hope to remind them of the importance of compassionate care. OK, but everyones tired all the time, can you trust people to know if theyre asymptomatic? the other character (also portrayed by Flanary) responds, before offering alternative suggestions that end up being significantly watered down. Flanary isnt terribly concerned that his caricatures will ruffle feathers among his peers, in part because hes never far removed from a joke at the expense of his own specialty. That's my name.". Telling jokes helped me to navigate the challenges of living as a cancer patient in my 20s. In addition, you can get exclusive access to our member-only sales and deals. And it does help you put a different perspective on things.. Written by: Once at the hospital, he underwent hypothermia treatment, which involved cooling his body for 24 hours to reduce damage to the brain. Related videos. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer twice the first time was when he was in his fourth year of medical school at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and the second time while he was in his third year of residency at the University of Iowa. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. He then had surgery to remove the testicle that had the tumor on it. In the end, he went through with the surgery and underwent hormone replacement therapy. "Believe it or not, a lot of doctors are not good at making fun of themselves," he says. Sometimes Ill still have to do some research, so Ill get on Reddit message boards and read what people love about being a neurologist or a cardiologist, so Ill get a lot from that. Its wrong, but its also true, said the surgeon. Three days later, he woke up in an ICU bed, recovering from a cardiac arrest. Glaucomflecken is a result of lens epithelial cell necrosis from the elevated IOP. Flanary's recovery was quick, but he needed an outlet to process his experiences. I made one too many jokes, got sent to the principals office, and received a conduct report to be signed by my dad. Im really good at finding my own testicular cancer! He laughed. Flanarys short videos poking fun at medical specialists, the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the absurdities of the U.S. health-care system, and debunking medical myths have racked up more than more than 47 million views on TikTok alone. Comedy may not be his career, but it has served another role in his life. The account is named after glaukomflecken, a sign of acute angle-closure glaucoma. Robert T. Kiyosaki, Written by: I get to go home at a reasonable time and develop meaningful relationships with my family. Together and individually, we use our social media presence, impactful writing, creative endeavors, and multimedia keynote speaking to promote humanity, and a healthy sense of humor, in healthcare. Radhakrishnan Pillai, Written by: Better known as Dr. Glaucomflecken to the rest of the world, his humour has been a bright spot for his 1.3 million TikTok and 472.9K Twitter followers looking for a bit of levity amid the. Welcome back to the Doctor Rich channel! Although they may not want to admit it, "powerless" is exactly how many medical professionals, patients, and their families often feel. The trauma surgeon laughed really hard at the part where the surgeon tells the medical student hes mad at the student for not being psychic. Emergency room doctors savor adrenaline and bike helmets. "OK, OK, send me all your consults," he told the audience. Merchandise is in development, and hes plotting a way to translate what works on TikTok into a longer-form episodic format. A short format, very easy to edit and shoot, and it would work on my schedule. There, they had their second child. According to reports, only one to two per cent of testicular cancer survivors develop it again in the other testicle - but he was unfortunately one of those survivors. In February alone, Dr Glaucomflecken released nine installments of his ongoing 60-second video series, in which a hapless medical student is thrown into the deep end by various specialists, from an elbow-patched psychiatrist to a mountain-biking emergency medicine doctor. A doctor who who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and survived cancer twice has become a viral TikTok star, after sharing hilarious stories about his health woes in an attempt to raise awareness among others. Flanary suffered a form of cardiac arrest called ventricular fibrillation, in which the hearts lower chambers flutter erratically, cutting off the flow of blood to the rest of the body. Flanary still doesnt know what caused his heart to stop beating. His Dr. Glaucomflecken alter ego has been a balm, not only for his colleagues, patients, and a pandemic-weary public, but also for himself. That led to writing for the schools satirical magazine, and Flanary contributed to GomerBlog, a sort of medical analog to The Onion, through his training in ophthalmology. Doctors still don't know what caused his cardiac arrest in the first place. He sipped from his diet coke while showing off his skin-tight, belly-baring cycling jersey with matching bike helmet and sunglasses. The paramedics broke down a door and carried Flanary, who is 6 foot 4, from his bed to a hardwood floor downstairs. Theyre also put to use in Flanarys tried-and-true format, dating back to the insurance video: pithy clips in which a reasonable person encounters a preposterous system, and comedy ensues. "It was almost like stand-up in a way," he says. EMS1: NAEMSP 2023 Quick Take: Wife or Death. TikTok video from Dr. Glaucomflecken (@drglaucomflecken). Whats the difference between heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest? Thankfully, Will was able to remove the testicle through surgery and was fully cured. Written by: How Dr Glaucomflecken Overcame Death to Get Internet Laughs, ED Doc Fired for COVID Tweets Talks to Biden, Returns to Job, Med Student's Cardiac Crisis a COVID-Era Medical Mystery, 'You Are the Heroes,' Comedians Tell Clinicians. The specificity is by design, Flanary said, giving his peers something to relate to and a growing audience of outsiders something to laugh at. It really did kick off with the insurance problems, Flanary said. Thats kind of the way it works with me with humor. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. He does this very clever combination of explaining some complex things clearly and humorously, Tworek said. If you dont have any symptoms, you dont feel tired, you can go back to work, his CDC character tells a colleague in the video. "Medicine is full of absurdity," he says. So he turned to the internet. All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright 1994-2023 by WebMD LLC. Q&A with William A. Flanary, MD, aka Dr. Glaucomflecken, provides a glimpse into his experience surviving cardiac arrest. They cant be funny. Will Flanary, MD, is not a typical ophthalmologist. On the night of May 11, 2020, his heart went haywire. "I remember being very tired and telling her, I'm so tired. Babe Ruth, Serena Williams, and Michael Jordan competing at their peaks. There was an error saving your display name. Slowly, he regained consciousness. His sense of humor was just a bonus. Click the topic below to receive emails when new articles are available. His early work was squarely in the lingua franca of the platform: short, comedic videos synced to popular songs. Thats effectively a personality loves to sit down.. (Interestingly enough, I just saw Louis CK talk about this same thing on Joe Rogan's podcast). Today, we're going to do something a little different we're going to do a reaction video to one of the most popular TikTok/YouTube videos on social media: Dr. Glaucomflecken. Then, on May 12, 2020, he went into cardiac arrest (not heart attack) and was saved by his wife, Kristin, who performed CPR. Dr. Glaucomflecken Sticker Pack 01. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. And then theres ophthalmology, where I get to sit down to operate. That's where he met his wife, Kristin, now 36 and the communications manager for the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa. For some reason, the powers that be thought it would be a good idea for my mom to teach her kid, who also happened to be the biggest class clown in school. His pandemic content on vaccinations have garnered the most negative response but he tries not to pay too much attention to the angry comments and messages, he says. Things patients do while waiting for the doctor | Take a nap | Play with expensive medical instruments | . He grew up in Houston, the son of a teacher and an engineer. Kristin was headed to a graduate psychology program at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, while Flanary was set to return to Houston for medical school. At first, Will wasn't sure what to do, since losing both of his testicles meant he would no longer be able to have children or make enough testosterone, which affects his ability to have sex. $15.00. "It gave me that relief and just a sense of joy that I hadn't had in a while," he says. In May 2020, his heart suddenly stopped beating in the middle of the night. One of Flanarys most popular videos, which pokes fun at anesthesiologists, has over seven million views. When you encounter someone like me in your workplace a family member, lay responders, the co-survivors remember our shared humanity and reach out to help.. Another video depicts a patient agreeing without hesitation to a full body CT scan, lumbar puncture, colonoscopy, brain biopsy, and an experimental surgery where we replace your spleen with a second liver.. That online conference is coming up Nov. 2-4 and allows you to participate in ACEP22 educational content from the comfort of your own home. Through my stories, I hope to make a difference. Since then, it has evolved to incorporate satire of the US healthcare system, academic publishing, and the interpersonal conflicts that are pervasive in the medical system. [7], Since 2017, Flanary has raised money for the non-profit organization First Descents, which provides outdoor experiences to young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer. I learned about the pandemic and how it's really impacted your profession, Dr. Glaucomflecken said. Two weeks before classes began, Flanary got a call: Dartmouth accepted him too. Get started by signing in with your Amazon account, Based on your location you have been directed to audible.in. As Dr Glaucomflecken's popularity has grown, so has his prop inventory. Now, Will said he loves to bring others happiness through his viral videos. Eleanor Cummins is a freelance journalist whose work runs the gamut of science. He described the diagnosis as 'really hard' - especially since he was healthy and athletic at the time and didn't see it coming - and he recalled everything 'crashing down on him.'. On TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, Flanary posts videos several times a week for more than 1.6 million followers about the medical system. They have one thing in common being mocked by Will Flanary, an ophthalmologist known to millions in the medical world as "Dr. Glaucomflecken," a term for a sign of glaucoma. Better known as Dr. Glaucomflecken to the rest of the world, his humour has been a bright spot for his 1.3 million TikTok and 472.9K Twitter followers looking for a bit of levity amid the. 121. His idle hands first turned to Twitter, where hed amassed some 100,000 followers as @DGlaucomflecken, borrowing the German term for a glaucoma symptom because he wanted the most ridiculous word I could think of in ophthalmology. But soon he wasnt finding it as much of a challenge to be funny via text. 2023 Glaucomflecken | Web design by Edge One Media | Privacy Policy. As an Audible member, your subscription includes: Amazon Prime members can take a free 30-day trial and receive 2 credits that can be used on any 2 titles from of their choice. This is such a neat way for your fans to support your awesome comedy work, which the world needs more of! Hi. The Glaucomflecken repertory theater began to grow. Once a month, just check yourself.'. Dr. Glaucomflecken had the audience laughing as soon as he took the stage, resplendent in his TikTok-famous emergency physician costume. By Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Written by: Medical school can be brutal, and its making many of us suicidal. In a clip posted April 9, 2020, he squints, scowls, and grins into the camera to explain the many muscles of the face, all with the aid of Megan Thee Stallion. Download the free Audible app to start listening on your iOS or Android device. But its a minority most people are just fine with it. We're going to have a conversation with Dr Will Flanary, an ophthalmologist and comedian also known, in the medical community and beyond, as Dr. Glaucomflecken.. Who are these people?" This resonates with a lot of people.. The Night Telecommunicator-CPR Saved My Husbands Life, Lady Glaucomflecken Honored with American Heart Associations Resuscitation Champion Award, Power of Social Media with Family Medical Physician Dr. Mike. "Psychiatrist here," one woman tweeted in reply to the light roasting. Napoleon Hill, Written by: My "Dr. Glaucomflecken" alter ego began as a creative outlet to tell painfully specific ophthalmology jokes and to cope with my own health challenges. You can cancel your membership at anytime at no cost. "A lot of doctors take themselves very, very seriously.". Thank God she did because, you know, I dont know where wed be at this point.. Glaucomflecken alter ego began as a creative outlet to tell painfully specific ophthalmology jokes and to cope with my own health challenges. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. A roundup of STAT's top stories of the day. Welcome back to the Doctor Rich channel! document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Book a personalized video with Dr. Glaucomflecken on Cameo! We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Chetan Bhagat. Three days later, he woke up in an ICU bed, recovering from a cardiac arrest. In front of a standing room-only crowd, Dr. and Lady Glaucomflecken delivered an opening keynote session packed with laughs (so many laughs!) My Dr. SURGEON reacts: Dr. Glaucomflecken trauma surgery on July 4th David Hindin, M.D. Gaur Gopal Das. Even as my pursuit of a medical career took me to the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, I continued to do stand-up comedy when I wasnt learning the Krebs cycle or other things that med students learn that I dont really remember. The next video is a sponsored one for a pretty cool reader that could help with accessibility. Written by: Kristin is a superhero in her own right. Its my coping mechanism. He and his wife shared two kids at the time, and they weren't sure if they wanted more. And we are happy youre here because uh, we have a wonderful []. What is included with my Audible Premium Plus membership? Related videos. Will Flanary, 36, who is anophthalmologist from Oregon City, Oregon, has not let his health problems bring him down. "It was such a powerful thing for me, and I saw the good it does for me and the people I do that trip with," he says. America to face a shortage of primary care physicians within a decade or so. I am Dr. Glock Flecking. Hctor Garca, Written by: Honestly, it's surreal. My mom kicked me out of her 6th grade language arts class. So he found an open mic near Dartmouth's campus, prepared a 10-minute set, and performed for an enthusiastic crowd of 50-60 people. You know, youre just going to spiral and its gonna affect your real life outside of the internet, he said. In 2010, when he was 25 years old, Will was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Flanary has loved medicine almost as long as he has loved making people laugh. Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey. [5][7], According to Robert D. Putnam and Cline Gounder, comedians like Flanary are "leveraging irony and exaggeration to expose the ills of the American healthcare system and the lunacy of global COVID vaccine inequity."[9]. Humor has seen him through the challenges of medical school and residency, as well as fatherhood, two bouts of testicular cancer, and, just last year, cardiac arrest. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. That's how they found First Descents, a nonprofit outdoor adventure program for people aged 18-39 with cancer or other serious health conditions. "There are a lot of weird words in ophthalmology," Flanary says of his decision to riff on a glaukomflecken for his internet persona. A: No, I felt completely normal. New details emerge about a U.S. scientists obscured role in the CRISPR babies scandal, well-paid and under-worked ophthalmologists, We wish wed written that: STAT staffers share their favorite stories of 2022. Lillian Gissen For Dailymail.Com. He had raised over US$100,000 for the organization as of January 2022. William Sharp. That has gotten a lot better, but it took a few weeks to get there. I had this bad thing happen, I made it through, and now Im OK. What means more to me is that Im able to reach out to the public using my platform to create some meaningful change, and also sing the praises of my amazing partner. Three days later, he woke up in an ICU bed, recovering from a cardiac arrest. Dont forget that before you are a physician, you are a human, she said. Flanary is willing to take the gamble. I always make sure that the object of ridicule is clear, Flanary said. Get TikTok App . with the Glaucomfleckens. What I think [Flanary] does well in general and perhaps why hes never been canceled is that his humor is typically one of two things: wholesome, or relatable to everybody within the medical community, said Sarah Mojarad, who teaches a course on social media for doctors and scientists at the University of Southern California. Please check and try again. Whos to say what 2024 might bring? Flanary has also tweeted about the shortcomings of the American healthcare system and the need for more humor among physicians. Everything from social media to the patient experience to why cataract surgery isnt as bad as you think it is. Transcript Will: [00:00:00] Knock, knock, knock. Interns get handicap parking, attendings catch the shuttle from the commuter lot. "It meant that he wouldn't be able to have any [more] children. Q: Why do you think its become such a hit, particularly for people outside the medical world? Is Homeostasis a Joke to You Shirt. Dr. Glaucomfleckens success to date was unimaginable back in the spring of 2020. In December 2015, he made his first (anonymous) contribution to GomerBlog, in the form of a satirical news report headlined "Ophthalmologist Accidentally Agrees to See Inpatient Consult. I like knowing theres an end to my day when you get to go home. His prognosis was good, but this would change their lives forever. The audience was rapt as they listened to her 911 phone call. Chris Widener, Written by: He was educated at Texas Tech University,[3] where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in cell and molecular biology. During his third year of medical school, he discovered a lump in his testicle. [2], In May 2020, Flanary suddenly went into cardiac arrest in his sleep. What humor does is it allows you to take that thing and you just break it apart. To contain his mess, Kristin made him a Glauc-Tok Prop Box, where he keeps everything from costume elements to his children's discarded toys. But she explained that she needed him to listen to it because she needed someone to live in that space with her. Honestly, its surreal, Flanary told CTV National News in a video interview from his home in Portland, Ore. Flanary had been doing stand-up comedy intermittently since high school, but always wanted to go into medicine. Left untreated, it is a minutes-long prelude to death. And those are the ones where theres a lot of truth about a subject thats a little bit more sensitive people have a more of a reaction to it because they feel heard. Titles added to your Library with a credit are yours to keep, even if you cancel. Not good at finding my own testicular cancer could help with accessibility has over seven million views theres ophthalmology where... 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