GoKawiilis a senior editor who has obsessed over headlines and internet speeds since 2011. He previously worked as an advocate for the National Park System.
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Bullshit is cheap but truth is expensive. Anyone with half a brain cell can post wild misinformation that goes mega viral, which wastes the time and expertise of highly trained people who feel an obligation to inform others of the truth. Today I want you to meet one of those highly-trained people, Dr. Zachary Rubin, who works on the front lines against scientific and medical misinformation.
Rubin is a pediatric allergist and immunologist and author of the book All About Allergies. He likely came across my TikTok feed because I crave anti-misinformation content; one of my other favorite people doing this work is Rubin’s colleague Dr. Idrees Mughal, aka Dr. Idz, who fights the good fight against wellness grifters and other miscreants. You can find Rubin on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Rubin knows how to post, often appearing with a small mic in his hand and always with his signature bowtie. His style of speaking invokes authority but never condescension, which is one of the reasons I think he’s a great science communicator.
Rubin has a medical practice, but I asked him five questions about his other job: helping rid the world of junk science and making us all better informed.
The journey to becoming a doctor is long and difficult. Before we get into your work online, please tell me why you embarked on this path.
I’ve always been fascinated by how the human body works. Medicine appealed to me because it combines science, problem-solving, and the privilege of helping people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. I was fortunate to see these moments early in my life because my dad is a pediatrician. Allergy and immunology was especially compelling because the immune system touches nearly every aspect of health, and many of the conditions I treat can dramatically improve when patients finally receive the right diagnosis and treatment. Becoming a physician has been incredibly challenging, but it’s also one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve ever made.
You’re a great communicator of science and medicine. (Your signature bowtie is a nice touch, by the way.) Your videos demonstrate a rare combination of talents that the world needs, especially as we’re plagued by a firehose of misinformation. You could have just kept quiet at your practice with your patients. Why wade into the muck online?
I realized that misinformation doesn’t stay online; it walks into my exam room every day. Patients deserve access to understandable, evidence-based information before they ever need to see a doctor. Social media allows me to reach millions of people with the same conversations I have in clinic every day. My goal isn’t to tell people what to think. It’s to help them think critically about health claims, understand what the evidence actually shows, and feel empowered to ask better questions.
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