The Checkup with Doctor Mike What Every Medical Influencer Is Getting Wrong | Dr. Glaucomflecken (Will Flanary)
Apr 5, 2026
Dr. Will Flanary, ophthalmologist-turned-comic known as Dr. Glaucomflecken, blends medicine and satire. He recounts surviving a cardiac arrest and its ripple effects on family and recovery. He discusses using comedy to process trauma, doctors on social media, fighting medical misinformation, insurance battles, eye myths and practical eye-care tips. The tone is candid, funny, and advocacy-driven.
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Avoid Punching Down On Social Media
- When physicians create social media content, avoid making fun of patients and punch sideways (institutions, insurers) instead.
- Flanary keeps patient characters out of his work and tests content against how patients would feel.
Medical Social Media Needs Modern Ethics
- Medical social media is evolving from taboo to essential, but institutions lack updated guidance; ethics and guardrails are overdue.
- Program directors still screen socials, so definitions of professionalism online are contested.
Medical Student Skits Crossed Professional Lines
- Flanary reviewed a med student’s misogynistic OBGYN skits that were deleted and said they crossed clear professional and ethical lines.
- He noted men discussing the issue must acknowledge female perspectives and the harm to trust.