A Look at Mexico’s Top 100 Medical Influencers

Central Media, a digital agency specializing in healthcare, conducted research on the social profiles of the Top 100 Mexican  influencers who are doctors to get a better insight into the digital health world. The study considered Mexican doctors and those whose content was in Spanish, as the majority of the influencer's audience was expected to reside in Mexico. The platforms analyzed were Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, as they are the most popular social platforms among Mexican internet users and those who best exploit audiovisual formats and short videos.

The following criteria were used in selecting the social profiles:

1. The profiles must be directly related to a specific doctor and not shared by two or more healthcare professionals.

2. Only medical profiles with a majority of posts on health topics with a scientific and professional perspective were included.

3. The reach of each influencer was important: only doctors with at least 100,000 followers across their Instagram, TikTok, and/or YouTube communities were considered.

4. The profiles must have been active for at least six months prior to the project.

It should be noted that this report does not include dentists, veterinarians, nutritionists, psychologists, or physiotherapists. 

The study was conducted between November 2022 and January 2023, the findings are a snapshot of the social media activity of the selected medical influencers at that time. The report provides a clearer picture of "who is who" in the digital health world and highlights the importance of health information on social media and patient decision-making.

Who Are the 100 Mexican Medical Influencers?

The 100 Mexican medical influencers are primarily general practitioners, with a significant number specialized in aesthetic fields like cosmetic surgery, dermatology, and plastic surgery. Examples of influencers in these specialties include Bren Tello (@brentello_derma), Osvaldo Lemus (@dcotorlemus) and Jorge Reyna (@reynacirugiaplastica).

The list also includes gynecologists, pediatricians, and internists, such as Gloria Rivero (@dra.gloria.tugine), Juan Carlos Carrera  (@drcarrera_pediatra), and Jorge Octavio Arroyo (@mrdoctorof), respectively.

The majority of these influencers reside in major Mexican cities, such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, and Tijuana. However, some of them live outside of Mexico but still cater to a Mexican audience, such as Federico Vallejo (@drfvallejo)  and Santiago Espinosa (@Fiteligente) who are based in the United States, and Mariana Solorzano (@dramarianasolorzano) who resides in Germany.

The majority of these medical influencers are aged between 36 and 55, with almost 40% being under 35, including residents like Ricardo Morales (@DrGarcia) and students like Alondra Mendizabal (@alo_mendv).

The content published by these influencers primarily focuses on their specialty, followed by general health information, and to a lesser extent, on their work and promotion of medical services.

Findings Per Platform

INSTAGRAM

Out of the list of 100 medical influencers, 68 have an active presence on Instagram. Notable ones for the size of their communities include:

1. Internist Mauricio González (@dr.mauriciogonzalez) with over 1.2 million followers;

2. General practicioner Paulina Zúniga (@dra_paulinazuniga) with a community of 1.15 million followers;

3. Dermatologist Rafael Arteaga (@rafaderma) with nearly 800,000 followers.

Each influencer's post on Instagram receives an average of 18,000 views, 2,700 likes, and 50 comments, with an engagement rate of 1.71% calculated by dividing the average interactions by the number of followers.

According to Instagram analytics,  the community that follows these doctors shows strong interest in "family, children & babies," which explains the presence of numerous pediatricians on the platform, such as Orlando Beltran (@beltran_orlando).

YOUTUBE 

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Out of 100 medical influencers, only 37 are present on YouTube. The most prominent are:

1. Orthopedist Victor Encina (@DrVic) with over 2.2 million subscribers

2. Polo Guerrero (@pologuerrero) with a community of almost 2 million subscribers

3. Internist Jorge Octovio Arroyo (@MrDoctorOficial) with more than 1.5 million subscribers.

The average video on YouTube receives 38,000 views, 3,000 likes, and 100 comments approximately, with an engagement rate of 0.88%, this being the lowest indicator of all  platforms analyzed in this report.

The audience that follows these doctors on YouTube is relatively young: over 50% of subscribers are between 18 and 24 years, with a nearly equal gender distribution (male-female). The leading nationality remains Mexican; nevertheless, there is a significant presence of Latin American countries, such as Peru, Colombia, and Argentina.

This video platform is notable for its strong presence of dermatologists, such as Marino Huánuco Pérez (@MarinoDerma), Alhely Niebla Maldonado (@SkinDeepbyDraAlhely), and René Gucon (@DrReneGucon).

TIKTOK

TikTok has seen significant growth in recent years, and many Mexican medical influencers have leveraged the platform to reach a wider audience. Out of the 100 medical influencers analyzed, 82 have TikTok profiles, making it the platform with the highest engagement rate (2.42%). On average, a TikTok post published by one of  these influencers is expected to receive over 286,000 views, 16,000 likes, and over 150 comments.

TikTok is the social media platform with the biggest followers rate for medical professionals, with almost 48 million people subscribed, outpacing Instagram (11 million) and YouTube (13 million). The three most popular medical influencers on TikTok are Polo Guerrero (@pologuerrero.med) with 7 million followers, dermatologist Rafael Artega (@rafaderma) with 2.4 million followers, and cardiologist Christian Assad (@drkkwate) with 2.3 million followers.

The medical TikTok influencers primarily target a young audience aged 13 to 24, mainly women, and are concentrated in Mexico.

Final Thoughts

Medical influencers on social media can have both positive and negative effects on the public's health and wellness. On the one hand, these influencers have the ability to reach large audiences, educate people about health and wellness, and promote healthy lifestyles. They can also use their platform to raise awareness about important health issues and provide information about available treatments and resources.

However, it's also important to be aware that not all medical influencers on social media are medical experts, some may provide inaccurate or misleading information, potentially putting people's health at risk. Additionally, medical influencers may be influenced by commercial interests or receive compensation for promoting certain products or services, which can affect the validity and impartiality of their advice.

In conclusion, while medical influencers on social media have the potential to positively impact public health, it's important for individuals to critically evaluate the information they receive from these sources and to seek information from trusted medical experts when making decisions about their health.

For additional details about the "100 Mexican Medical Influencers" report, please contact Central Media or reach out to me  through my social profiles.