Draw My Life - Coming To America

[@antoniaPrince]

Everytime i hear Mike mention his dad doing med school twice, i get inspired to keep going.

[@DoctorMike]

Hes truly the best inspo!

[@SK-yv6mr]

Yeah hearing that makes me thinking like " whatever your condition now keep going".

[@a_cubedd]

@@DoctorMike if u don't minded me asking, what made your dad want to go through med school again?

[@dorianforster6758]

@@a_cubedd cuz he had only done it in Russian, once in the us he needed to do it again in English

[@KiaiandAvery]

@@a_cubedd oh so basically, he went to med school in Russia, and you can’t like- transfer that to the USA so he had to redo the course

[@joshuamartin6457]

I can only feel the horror you father must have felt when he has to go to medical school for the second time and on a different language, yet his done just that to support his family,what an absolute legend.

[@joesamazingchannel]

1sv reply Hombre came back with la leche

[@cheryl-lynnmehring8606]

Doing Med school twice, that is the most painful thing I could imagine!😬🤒😵

[@ponalvsiki2254]

@@cheryl-lynnmehring8606 cancers, stroke, seizure,... I can name more painful things

[@tulenich9948]

@@ponalvsiki2254 🤓

[@ponalvsiki2254]

@@tulenich9948 🤡

[@tango8011]

Kudos to Rita and Rosa and the fact you still remember their names.

[@ImHappy_yippee]

To this day, I still remember the name of my preschool teacher.

[@STingyWasTaken]

@@ImHappy_yippeesame

[@mangantasy289]

just shows how very important these were for you at that moment in your life. Litterally the means to express yourself and be understood. I'm not surprised you remember their names.

[@evelym_here]

It would be really cool if those girls appeared on the show sometime :)

[@mxka-b5m]

Maybe they still keep in touch or something.

[@theparkourlady894]

Wow. Kudos to your dad. He did med school twice, could only afford budget stuff for you guys, could barely afford electronics and yet you managed to come out a successful, educated young man with a refreshing, contemporary view on life stuff. He must have felt like he was failing u so often, must have been so tired of struggling, must have wanted to quit so often. But he pushed thru it all and raised a great kid that's helping the world. That's inspiring.

[@khalilahd.]

I haven’t seen a draw my life video in awhile and this is the BEST way to bring it back. It’s so cool to see one of my favorite KZbinrs origin story. Love you Dr. Mike 😊

[@tundraart2693]

I know right? I think joey graceffas was the last one i saw lol

[@cherry-magic1]

Yes, same!

[@funwithmatteo3769]

Me too

[@ThawBerry]

Same! I don’t even remember the last draw my life I watched!

[@darkry-]

Fr

[@joymirriam9049]

Let's just take a moment to appreciate the editor of Mike's videos. People barely notice this but apart from Dr. Mike's sense of humor and educative information the edits play a huge role in making the video what it is. Edit: as well as Sam and Dan goddammit 😂❤

[@chrisbee83]

Yup

[@KwilverMC]

yessir

[@fezhats_willhappen]

EXACTLY. periodt.

[@omarr3199]

theres 2 editors

[@منالعبدالرحيم-ه1ب]

@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ nobody asked Im ☪️

[@shubhanginisarathy7725]

If there's anyone's life i wanna know about, it's Dr Mike's. You have seriously inspired me so much!!

[@seeratbhatia8405]

SAME HERE!

[@varunponnala873]

@@Amity_Oh_Cramity ur mom is better than anything

[@DynastyTrickDogs]

me too!

[@randomdots7758]

@YоuTubе 🅥 shh bot

[@fredwerza3478]

Dr. Mike inspires you to be a better person --- that is a rare trait these days 👌

[@7mariepierre]

I’m a teacher for newcomer kids. Your story really resonates with me! I find people choosing to leave their country are so courageous! Love to hear your story!

[@ChristionGirl45]

Haven't seen a "Draw My Life" in quite a while, I do hope you will do another one about you getting older, your medical journey, and just everything that led up to now! 😊

[@efreniiibravante4373]

This draw my life is an upgrade because the really old ones looks like a timelapse

[@davidcoin8759]

@@efreniiibravante4373 l

[@kfv4]

well he hearted your comment so maybe

[@HansonsPassion]

I hope he does another as well!

[@rebeccaoleary3318]

He has a few videos on his medical journey with residency etc. They are fab, he really has worked SO hard to be where he is now and thinking that his poor father had to go through medical school twice is absolutely insane 🙀 Greetings from Ireland ☘️😀

[@chuckyjamesamartin1968]

It's insane how flawless your English is when you couldn't speak it at all when you were 6. It's better than mine. I honestly didn't know you were Russian until I saw your name was Mikhail on your shirt.

[@yebbit87]

And he can speak fluent Russian too.. 😯

[@mazvitaselemani]

He grew up in an English speaking country from a young age, it's not impressive that he can speak English cause children absorb languages and accents better than adults 😂

[@animemachinex3]

what. he literally grew up and spent his schooling years in US, obviously he would be flawless.

[@professional.commentator]

If you think that's impressive, look up NFKRZ (Roman). He's a Russian KZbinr who has never even stepped foot into an English speaking country, yet he's incredibly fluent in English with a slight lisp-like accent. And I believe he also said he never talked to anyone in English, in person, until like 2019.

[@karineb.fortin909]

I once read a study that said if you end up in a different language community before the age of 10 (approximatly) you won’t have any accent in the new language. After that age, the parts of your brain responsible for languages is not flexible enough to avoid having an « accent ». We have to keep in mind that it is an approximate and there is probably variations among people.

[@karinrankin5871]

So many follow up questions! - Do your family call you Misha? - Do you still have family/friends in Russia? If so, how are they doing with what's happening? We've lost contact with a few friends in Moscow, but others have gotten VPNs and can talk again. - Was it weird switching from Grandfather Frost (I don't love transliteration and I don't have a Cyrillic keyboard) to Santa Claus, or from New Years to Christmas? Or is your family Jewish, and got to stick with Hanukkah? Weird, but I really am curious - What were some culture shocks for you or your folks? A few friends talk about the cereal isle being overwhelming - Have you ever been back to Russia? Was it uncomfortable, or did you feel like you could find your way? We lived in Moscow for a few years about a decade ago, and I'd like to go back someday...it just makes me nervous with how much language I've forgotten and how quickly the city changes.

[@sarahcoletti6946]

These are all wonderful follow up questions! I hope Dr. Mike answers them!

[@skypie5374]

Good questions! Hope he reads this BOOST!

[@lishkaneshiro631]

Love these question! Boosting!

[@SpiderManNoir1929]

Beautiful questions!

[@brazzaville5085]

He's way too coward to talk about those

[@RealityRecapGurl]

I had never heard another "coming to America" story so similar to mine and I came from another continent. Not understanding the concept of moving, same age, same issues not understanding the language, ESL, crying because it was all so new and scary, payless etc. I appreciate you sharing your story!

[@MrWiseinheart]

I mean it rang a bell with me too I was seven/eight thought.

[@zoraalgero7019]

Same my story was almost too similar I was like omg is he me?!😭😂

[@bear02128]

I came 40 years ago. Same experience. The one thing was the bullying was relentless. There were not many immigrants families back then. Imagine going to school and no one looks like you.

[@bria5325]

As a person who grew up on welfare as a kid, seeing kid Mike get excited about things that I got excited about as a kid (was made fun of for at school) really does my little kid self some justice. Payless was dope, dollar tree was necessary, sales are mandatory and just doing your best to have a better future was always the goal. I think people see those who are on welfare as almost weak without realizing that, to the kid with welfare, that is a stepping stone for going places you didn't know you could dream of ❤️ thanks for sharing Mike ❤️

[@ish.notreal]

L

[@lanahsx]

@@ish.notreal ?

[@lanahsx]

@@hwfq34fajw9foiffawdiufhuaiwfhw ?

[@RageQuitinMidget]

agreed! this is so wholesome !

[@crystaldragon8211]

So well said. =]

[@stormninjabros025]

Wow, immigrating to a different country is really hard, especially when you have to live dollar-to-dollar. Props to your parents for working so hard for you and your sister!

[@DynastyTrickDogs]

It mustve been really hard to immigrate for sure! The challenges that come along with it are tough

[@goofusdestroyerofworlds9504]

I agree!

[@randomsprite7515]

@@Amity_Oh_Cramity says the one that has only 1.22k subs

[@truedistortion7673]

I'm not a child of recent immigrants, but it really warms my heart to hear stories like this. The fact that your parents gave you and your sister the only bedroom in the apartment is so sweet. Thanks for sharing, Dr. Mike. Much appreciated. ❤

[@smb-c3po]

All the white people in this country are the descendants of illegal European immigrants.

[@hattarapilvi]

this is very common in my country. i recently saw someone saying its an issue for a parent to give the master bedroom to their kid, and that confused me greatly.

[@judith8161]

Ha. I knew it. Russian doesn't have to sound aggressive. The Doc is perfectly able to speak it so it sounds friendly and nice.

[@k0valus585]

yes, it is not inherently angry as a language, but is scary if you yell. russian has subtle tones that are often left unappreciated because people think that all russians are loud and belligerent

[@btf_flotsam478]

​@k0valus585 Russian, in particular, is scary if you yell? I suspect you could sound terrifying yelling in French or Italian.

[@EugenBernstein]

Майк говорит по-русски с лёгким акцентом, поэтому его речь звучит чуть мягче, чем у "носителя" (сомневаюсь, что тут это слово уместно, но пусть будет).

[@itisprofile]

​​​@@EugenBernsteinit is interesting how the "harshness" or the "beauty" of the language are greatly depend on how people around referring to this language. In Kazakhstan we have taught the beautiful side of the language and it was extremely weird to hear that in the west people are thinking that russian language is harsh

[@itisprofile]

​​​@@EugenBernsteinу меня родители говорят что английский американского акцента "звучит очень грубо". Это было очень странно мне слышать, но it makes sense так как они росли под страшилки про плохих американцев

[@zahraalhussein1912]

If Med school wasn't already hard enough, Dr Mike's dad going twice is absolutely insane! Props to him! I'm also so glad that you decided to follow the footsteps of your Dad Dr.Mike, or else we wouldn't have had the amazing doctor we have now!

[@babs1083]

My family immigrated to the states from Russia when I was 8. The culture shock bits are so relatable. Hearing Doctor Mike speak in Russian is so wild! Also…when you realize that in Russian, Doctor Mike and Bear have kind of the same name 😄

[@robinviden9148]

Mishka. 😄

[@happiness839]

Teddy bear in Polish is misiu. Bear: niedzwiedz Michael: Michał

[@GrafMKristo]

@@happiness839 cool! We russians often drop "i" vowel from "Mikhail" in informal speech and ONLY when the name is followed by patronym: Mikhal Nikitich. And also calling person by his patronym (I think that's widespread) - Mikhalych. But the coorect and formal ona would be "Mikhaylovich"

[@happiness839]

@@GrafMKristo cool it's Michał (the "i" makes a "ee" sound and the "ł" makes a "w" sound)

[@Saber23]

@@GrafMKristo you aren’t a Russian if you’re a filthy liberal

[@JadenNeko]

The way he speaks Russian is so cute, he sounded like my old manger who was a tip top boss. I do hope he's well, thinking about it. Wishing you the best Dr. Mike, love that you manage to stay so positive and show that everything is possible.

[@MariaBelova]

Well in my opinion that's just Brooklyn Russian kind of thing. I moved from Russia to United States in 2014 and I still maintain my Moscow kind of dialect but whenever I go to Brooklyn I can definitely hear the difference

[@Endelle]

yes omg! i totally melted when he started speaking russian!

[@cloud2884]

better call saul

[@David-yd6hg]

Moved to the US with my mom at 12 years old,I wanna work as a police officer because It’s my dream job and I know 3 languages(English,Russian,Romanian)and this gives me a lot of bonuses.God bless America🇺🇸

[@k0valus585]

in us, very useful to know spanish too, would definitely recommend learning. удачи в карьере в полиции, ¡y debes aprender español también! :D

[@bugsbunny7168]

I bet that you are from moldova or romania

[@cat.9586]

I feel like I hear this a lot “If you were born in a poor but supportive family you’ll make it far, but if you were born in a wealthy country doesn’t always mean you’ll be successful in life” It haunts me to hear that since I was born in a pretty wealthy family, but they’re not really supportive in anything I do. It means I can’t get support when I’m trying something, which can cause me to give up easily. And all my friends say they have supportive families but doesn’t have a lot of money, and they are either the sportiest, smartest, artistic people I know and it haunts me to know that I might not be good at anything special in life

[@abbylovestoread]

Personally and I know you might not hear this but, the truth is that everyone has a purpose whether or not they were born in a wealthy family. What affects your purpose is your mindset. The reason why people think what affects it is wealth is because wealth in some cases affects your mindset eg. When someone has grown up in a poor family, they learn to support themselves from a young age so if you decide to use the wealth that you've had from a young age well, then I don't think you will fail in life. Try your best, love and God will handle the rest.

[@PhDemContabilidade]

CallMehAugust47 You can be good at being the best version of yourself

[@Manchqa]

If you want to be successful you always have to have faith in yourself, being born in a poor or a wealthy family doesn't matter, if you believe in yourself and believe that you can achieve something than you can!!

[@codybiscuit1]

that’s a scary thought but anyone can be good at something. for example, Giannis Antetokounmpo was born extremely poor, but grew up to be one of the greatest basketball players in the world. but michael jordan was born rich and then found his passion for basketball and turned out an amazing basketball player too! as long as you find your passion (and work at it), you should turn out amazing! 😁

[@martaribeiro96]

I was born in a poor family that never supported me in anything I did and still don't and yet I'm the most successful kid in the family. You don't need support from people in your life to achieve your goals, find that support within yourself, their opinions don't matter. Try to find something you're good at or something you're passionate about and work on that. Everybody is good at something so don't give up.

[@MorningCyclist]

I remember hearing Mila Kunis’s story on her Soviet refugee immigration and American assimilation. It’s a great story and I have immense respect for those who are brave enough to leave their homeland and start a new life somewhere else.

[@andriafehizoro686]

fr. that is real bravery 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗💕

[@DynastyTrickDogs]

Wow. ill have to watch that one

[@MorningCyclist]

@@DynastyTrickDogs I believe it was on Howard Stern

[@smb-c3po]

Calling it a story implies it did t happen, please rephrase it.

[@avianpilot6610]

@@smb-c3po no it doesn't? stories can be true. that's common usage.

[@amandanybo4413]

I dare you to speak Russian for a whole entire video!! PLEASE!!!!

[@小悪魔ゾム]

Even though he's Russian you can clearly tell by his American accent (while he's speaking Russian) that he's not comfy while speaking it. It mostly like a foreign language for him, because he grew up in the US

[@EpiphoneShredzzzzz]

@@小悪魔ゾム wow he has an American accent when he speaks Russian? I figured he'd be fluent in both since his parents didn't speak English when he was growing up. I would think they still speak to each other in Russian since it's harder for adults to learn foreign languages than it is for kids. At least that's how it was for my gf in high school who came from Chile with her parents. Her dad's English was decent but when speaking amongst themselves it was almost always in Spanish

[@cameronmk4398]

@@EpiphoneShredzzzzz It's probably because he came to America so young so his new English accent started to influence his Russian accent compared to if he came at like 12+ it probably wouldn't have affect his Russian. Also he spoke English outside of the home so even if his parents only spoke in Russian as a kid your outside of your house normally more than you are home so he has a lot more real world practice with English rather than Russian because he only speaks it with his family and nobody else.

[@a-r-m-a-n-d]

@@cameronmk4398 yeh my dad moved to Australia early but now he forgot how to speak tagalog even though his parents still speak ot

[@tatumrob]

◦•●◉✿Yes! ✿◉●•◦

[@sofiaarevalotoledo9147]

The “game” of window shopping with his dad brought tears to my eyes. Definitely part of the immigrant experience and remember doing stuff like with my dad too after we moved to the US

[@atomic3401]

Your story about going to school is so similar to mine, as a first generation Australian my parents never taught me English and I had to school. They even brought a Russian translator because they thought I was special.

[@FatBellyChemist1234]

I was the same, my cousin in primary school was the only mentor and translator. I eventually became a translator to other Chinese migrant children, good times.

[@verinamusherure881]

OOOFF, same. Ugandan immigrant who moved to Canada at 5 years old. While I knew some english, I wasn't fluent at all and had to take ESL classes my first year at a Canadian school

[@YourNay]

Doctor Mike, I’m Bulgarian and came to the US at 6 years old and we literally have the same immigration story. Like identical lol

[@kingkiller_bg428]

Ехе супер. Не знаех че има българи който го следят. Мислех че съм единственият

[@nikolaypavlov7285]

@@kingkiller_bg428 Е как иначе, пичът е огромен, пък и ние сме навсякъде 😁

[@aliensarefromspace]

@@kingkiller_bg428 лол :Д

[@learningwithlanden]

Whenever we think of someone as an overnight success story, remember that “night” came with years of sacrifice, tears, failure, discipline, perseverance, and hard work. Thank you Dr. Mike for continuing to share your inspirational story to light the path for future “overnight” success stories.

[@nineqwert]

Nice words you have

[@themathplanet3071]

My family and I actually immigrated to the US from Armenia when I was 4 and I also have memories of crying the first few days of school. My parents also had to get their degrees again and I can relate to the culture shock. Your story is so relatable and inspiring to me.

[@BrilliantBatgirl]

The thought of that little kid crying every day at school breaks my heart. I'm so glad that you and your family got through it all.

[@gravityweights4009]

I think every immigrant family went through something like this.

[@jerielk.6975]

I remember him saying in a video from like ages ago that he wanted to do a draw my life -- finally did it! I am from another country too, moved to the US as a little kid. I totally relate to a lot of what you experienced coming here, but I'm glad our family did come. Great video.

[@SPITBLUDS]

I literally watched the video yesterday that’s so funny

[@cameronbrown9424]

What country are you from?

[@jerielk.6975]

@@cameronbrown9424 I’m from Belize 🇧🇿

[@ayniess]

Your Russian is great for somebody who left the country at 6. My parents moved from Azerbaijan to Russia when I was 6 so I also had similar story - running away from poverty, going to school and not knowing the language, living in a small apartment with mice but now it's a lot better. I love Moscow and Russian people. I just wish things will get back to normal as soon as possible, for all people in the world including Ukrainians, Russians, Syrians, Afghans and everyone who is struggling and whose country is struggling.

[@user-eqwd]

@@CalmoOmlac People in these situations, especially forced in certain housing, live in enclaves with Russian-owned shops and the like.

[@Saber23]

@@user-eqwd bullshit propaganda

[@Saber23]

The way it’ll go back to normal is if the West fucks off and stops messing with everyone’s affairs

[@bigfloppa9594]

​@@Saber23how?

[@Saber23]

@@bigfloppa9594 how? Because like always he paints America as heaven on earth, which is BS

[@Quietquest14]

I really understood him when he said "what you think is bad here could be way better than what's in other countries" I'm from Zambia and I really understood that after going to congo.

[@MissJanet101]

I am an elementary ESL teacher. This episode touched my heart. I'm so grateful to be one of the first educational relationships they build when coming to a new country. It's not just language, it's a huge difference in culture and societal norms.

[@j.k5840]

I was 4 years old when I moved to Singapore and went to international school. It was truly a scary experience because I just started learning and speaking Japanese. And j didn’t understand anything. What was difficult was there wasn’t someone who knew Japanese until the next grade, I am so glad now I can speak English and I’m bilingual now. Thinking now it was a very special experience!!

[@karusel_ka]

I can completely relate to this. Me and my family moved to US 2 years ago as refugees from Ukraine. Going to school not knowing the language was very tough. But we're doing ok at the moment, my parents still learn english but my brother and I speak pretty fluently. I speak russian, ukrainian, and armenian as well since I I'm Аrmenian, and was born in Ukraine. Спасибо, что поделились своей историей:)

[@SkepticalTeacher]

I'm so glad you escaped the war, it's terrible what's happening there.

[@FatBellyChemist1234]

It is hard. I am a Chinese migrant, my uncle was the one who've picked me and my dad up from Melb airport, we lived in his house with my aunty, my cousins, grandma and grandpa.

[@janea123]

Also Ukrainan! Although I’m not from Ukraine, I have Ukrainian blood.

[@karusel_ka]

@@SkepticalTeacher thanks:) I still have friends there though

[@calliarcale]

Being a polyglot is a great advantage and will help you. I am glad you are doing well and I hope things keep moving up for you!

[@jet-g4458]

My brother’s currently in his last year of Med school. Swap out Russia for China and he basically had your exact childhood it’s crazy

[@isabeljerez8629]

Hay 😭 aquí muchas madre nos indetificamos con tu historia, hace 35 años en República Dominicana cuando llevaba a mi hijo Miguel al colegio, se quedaba llorando, eso rompió mi corazón de madre , creo que hoy día el ha entendido, que era necesario, aquí en los estados unidos, hace 19 años mi segundo hijo Anthony, también lloraba , estamos separados desde que tiene 6 años, ver este es duro como madre, doctor tiene una hermosa 👪 🙏❤️✌️😇

[@Bosihiov]

I love an immigrant story. My husband has been an immigrant twice over (first from Afghanistan to Pakistan and then from Pakistan to the US) due to religious persecution. Nobody is braver than someone who has to start all over. Props to you and your family. 👏🏻

[@elin_]

What religion?

[@پریچهرگلشنی]

@@elin_ chiaa islam i think but i could be wrong.

[@varnitrana3138]

I am thinking of doing my masters abroad, but even the thought of that is scary to me. 😔 I don't know how I'll be able to adjust with strangers + tech difference + language barriers

[@Bosihiov]

@@elin_ We’re Shia Muslim. There’s been a lot of sectarian violence in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. My husband was a victim of targeted sectarian violence in Pakistan and that’s why he’s in the US. :)

[@greggyts13]

Очень вдохновляющая история! Мне 12 лет, 2 месяца назад мы переехали в Нидерланды. Я сейчас очень боюсь идти здесь в школу, будь то международная или региональная. Но видя тебя, который в 6 лет переехал в Америку, НЕ ЗНАЯ английский (у меня В2 сейчас), я чувствую что смогу найти в себе силы! Кстати, я вообще представить не могу, что ты из России, по твоей внешности и американскому акценту. Круто!

[@小悪魔ゾム]

Как человек, который ни разу не жил заграницей, но знающий много о лингвистике и усвоении языка человеком, смело могу сказать, что учась в школе, где все говорят на английском: твой уровень будет расти невероятно быстро. А скоро тебя вообще нельзя будет отличить от носителя английского. Поэтому, не бойся, всё получится! Удачи тебе🥳

[@Warlonging]

@NevDaPotato11 No its Chinese ffs

[@小悪魔ゾム]

@NevDaPotato11 yes

[@LiterallyCayde6]

@NevDaPotato11 THAT'S RUSSIAN DUH

[@user-eqwd]

@@小悪魔ゾム Не уверена то это так быстро. Мы в Германии с мая, дочка до сих пор не может уверенно говорить - скорее еще потому что она хочет домой, а не вот это вот все.

[@MrNinjy]

Рады за тебя, Миша. Рады, что ты нашел себя. Рады за все жизни, что ты спас или сделал лучше, неважно, чьи.

[@jsoulas]

Can you tell me what he said in Russian at the beginning of the video, please?

[@MrNinjy]

​@@jsoulas "It's true! I was born in Russia and I had moved to the US when I was only six."

[@manidact8905]

Миша... Необычная адаптация

[@tylarjackson7928]

@@manidact8905 Is that a thing like Bob for Robert or Peggy for Margaret? Cuz Mikhail to Misha doesn't look as simple as Michael to Mike to my American eyes.

[@koleslaw5678]

Translation: "Happy for you, Misha. Glad you found yourself. Happy for all the lives you've saved or made better, no matter whose." - Google Translate

[@nerysghemor5781]

I am so glad that some people still appreciate the opportunities that really do exist in America.

[@CulturalToast]

0:03 For anyone wondering he said: "It is true, i was born in russia and came to america when i was only 6 years old"

[@teambeanpie339]

And then in the subtitles it says speaks and foreign language

[@annaelizabzth]

Thankyou!!!🥰🥰

[@chinmay-ru9me]

Mike you are the Perfect example and product of “American dream”

[@smb-c3po]

What is the American dream?

[@Avatarmariz]

The one that turned out great not everyone is that lucky

[@malakabaroui6935]

@@Avatarmariz A lot of hard work was put into that as well

[@smb-c3po]

@@Avatarmariz And our corrupt government is why not everyone is lucky.

[@smb-c3po]

@@malakabaroui6935 But what exactly is the American dream?

[@mcc_1993]

I was born in Moscow and adopted by my parents at 5 months old. I never really got to experience Russia but I still am vastly aware that what I have here in the US is better than what they have in Russia (my mom grew up in Belarus so she could always tell me).

[@lukecohen9833]

my dad's family roots are from Ukraine and Belarus during the Russian empire and so are mine and I agree it's better here than in a dictaorship in Belarus and a war in Ukraine Long live Ukraine

[@Justme1989-m1g]

Whenever I feel down, I watch Dr. Mike and he inspires me to keep following my passions. Keep following my dreams, and that I will always get ahead in life.

[@clouded2]

I've just finished football training and came back to my car to find this video, put a smile on my face. Love your content Mike, this is the best draw my life I've ever seen 👍

[@redbaby814]

I bet your mother is very proud of your success in life. She's probably looking down and with a beaming smile.

[@mohammadadnan9685]

Unfortunately, his both parents are now dead.

[@Izzy10k]

shes alive

[@HereComesCats]

@@Izzy10k she actually passed away from bood cancer, he talked about a few times, especially in his mother's day video.

[@vaishalisahu7483]

The person who animated this, has a special kind of appreciation for for his sister's hair! 😍

[@koen23]

But still choses a different colour even though Dr Mike even refers to the video with his sister 😄

[@irina3-sk6cq]

I feel so special when a KZbinr speaks Russian and I can understand it

[@apjtv2540]

Hearing Dr Mike speak Russian was a nice surprise. Despite all the flaws with the country, they do have a wonderful language and it's a shame we don't hear it more often.

[@Mar-fl7cx]

There are many other wonderful countries where russian is spoken.

[@claragemheart581]

I know. I was always interested in Russian language. (Even though its pretty much gibberish for me). And its so sad About whats happening right now.

[@candicemorgan979]

There are plenty of places in the states where you can hear it 🤷🏼‍♀️ Just go to a Russian area 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ One of my family members lived there for a few years and keeps up with the language (and our heritage is western/Northern European, not anywhere near Russia really)... many places also offer classes in it- if you’re near a uni you could probably ask to audit Russian classes (which basically means you take the class with no credit/grade) or find a Russian to do a language exchange with... I would say writing it is more difficult than speaking it as the alphabet in Russian is nowhere near a Germanic (English and German) or Latin (Spanish, Italian, French, etc) alphabet 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@randomperson6433]

I live in Washington state and we have a large Russian community. I’ve learned a handful of phrases. Please and thank you go a long way. If you can’t speak the language at least you can be polite lol. If you can find a Russian bakery I highly recommend their treats. Вкусно!

[@claragemheart581]

@@randomperson6433 i should look for that, it sounds cool!

[@itsanothercrystal]

You know it’s a great day when Doctor Mike posts 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@fredwerza3478]

TRUTH

[@hilolayusupova6786]

This story is so relatable. Came with no English. Got education in both countries. Shopped at 99c store and Payless.

[@CardiacRn333]

I love the level of passion you have in all of your videos but the transparency and depth you convey in this one truly shows why you are the amazing person you are 💕

[@Desstic]

LETSS GOOO!!!! I REMEMBER HIM TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO DO ONE OF THESE!🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯

[@crypticanalytic]

My mom and I constantly talk about how much we miss Payless 😭 this was an incredibly personal, vulnerable video. Thank you for sharing with us!

[@StellarisIgnis]

I have many memories going to payless, was our go to. Even as an adult I would go even though I have more money. Sadly the ones where I live now have all closed.

[@crypticanalytic]

@@StellarisIgnis we always did our shoe shopping at Payless until the day the closed all the stores. Other shoe stores didn't even exist to us haha

[@kirasthebest]

Yeeeeees!! I miss Payless so much 😫😫😫

[@obamagaming69420]

We all needed this. Yet nobody needed this. We love you Mike. Спасибо за весь отличный контент, Майк.

[@cherry-magic1]

@@Amity_Oh_Cramity that’s your opinion, and please stop saying this

[@КомерадХакер]

puck spambot

[@Kuri_ko]

@@Amity_Oh_Cramity stop using tecnoblade, it’s pretty rude

[@V1_The_Machine]

@YоuTubе 🅥 😂😂😂

[@fanieefstathiou4503]

я не знаю русский я только что перевел это на русский

[@n.l.7407]

This made me emotional for some reason. Really happy to how far you have to come

[@masonandrew5969]

This was nice, we need a draw my life part 2

[@Rox_Fox94]

I also was born in Russia and we moved to Germany when i was 8. The Feelings you discribe are exactly what i remember. A whole new world, so much to see, so much cars, so much jummy things to eat you´ve never seen or only seen on tv. i remember how i got my first snickers when we arrived a the airport. it was like heaven!

[@keepitreal214]

That was an inspiring story of your humble beginnings in the LAND of opportunities💕

[@nakamori9124]

What an incredible story! Which makes you a person of values, humble and resilient! ☀️😇💜 God bless you and your family 🙏

[@sushidacorgiroll6925]

It’s so nice how you opened up your life story to us.

[@23rsnyder]

I'm so glad there were two girls at school who spoke Russian and could help you!! Poor little baby Dr. Mike

[@behkleei]

Baby?

[@Teo16788]

this is such an inspirational video, it makes you think "I can do anything"

[@DrittesReich1945]

I love hearing about other people's stories because of my family's crazy adventures. My half-father was born in Ohio, entered the army, was sent to Germany, met my sisters' mother, and had my sisters. when i was in seventh grade i moved for the first time from a small town no one knows about to a historic tourist town and a middle school. (i went to a charter my whole life). it was eye opening until i started to get teased and bullied for being German and being from Germany. its so inspiring to hear that it's not just me out there that has experienced these things.

[@oliviathurlow07]

спасибо за весь этот удивительный контент, доктор Майк!

[@osorginakatelin]

@@Amity_Oh_Cramity чем докажешь?)

[@KwilverMC]

btw here's a translation: Thanks for all this amazing content, Dr. Mike!

[@Slav_boi]

я знаю хаха

[@cosmic....]

он делает меня таким счастливым!!

[@cosmic....]

@@Amity_Oh_Cramity всем всеравно :/

[@freedamnsweetcree7235]

Honestly, you're one of the few people who arent pretensious... I lovd how real you can be. And when you get shy, or embarrassed 👌😊 because I think it makes you even more relatable. Love your content doctor mike 💜

[@mattb9343]

You had a loving supportive family. Forget money, that one aspect of your life is invaluable. A lot of us don't have that kind of foundation.

[@GingerNinja1]

Going to medical school twice AND learning one of the most difficult languages simultaneously... his dad is next level. I'm seriously impressed!

[@Lethallime1234]

English is a difficult language?

[@Amethyst._balls]

@@Lethallime1234 When learning it as a second language, yes it is VERY hard, esp when you are older

[@mononoke813]

I was initially attracted to Dr. Mike because of his intelligent, humorous, and wholesome content featuring his dog Bear. Now I’m inspired, have much respect for, and a newfound appreciation for the man behind the dog. Thank you Bear for continuing your predecessor’s work and introducing us to Dr. Mike. We need more people like him in ALL our lives.

[@JosephLafrance-n4w]

I agree I'm 60 and a wounded Iraq Combat Veteran with PTSD when I see DR Mike with Bear I love my service dogs Lucky and Brandi even more and also I know its a little late but Welcome to America lol.

[@danielhernandez8961]

When he mentioned Payless. I was literally flooded with memories of my parents who happened to me immigrants would always take me to buy shoes at Payless. Literally Payless carried my childhood 😂 ESL classes tho… I hated that. Every time I thought I was getting better at English. ESL proved me wrong.

[@hazyskyproductions4207]

lol, same here

[@IvanNava]

I was ESL too 😭

[@jemmaallen5487]

I think it does that to native english speakers too. Just saying, You're english seems pretty great through your comment.

[@marianabusmair7380]

Mike speaking Russian is probably the coolest/weirdest thing I've heard today (only bec I'm not use to it) it's rlly good tho my mom's from Azerbaijan so I speak a bit too, such an inspiring story

[@teresaohira5053]

I visited my 1st cousin in Cuba in 2020 and (speaking of Russian cars) she borrowed her mom's 30+ year old Lada. No seat belts, all the rubber deteriorated/gone. The gas gauge didn't work so when we fueled, she said we had enough when the gasoline fumes were pungent inside the car! The passenger door didn't consistently close completely and would swing open when she made a left turn. This would cause her to grab me so I would fall out of the car. On Christmas Day the brakes went out on a rainy day. She walked up and down the street trying to find a mechanic. She found a guy who said, "I need a bottle cap and a pair of scissors and I can fix it". We found them and he made it work!! My family came here as refugees as well but from Cuba. It trippede out that the signage in Cuba was in Spanish and Russian! Thanks the intelligent and entertaining videos! Спасибо и будьте здоровы!

[@auntielhandmade2099]

I am the daughter of an immigrant. My dad was a Holocaust survivor. I grew up in Brooklyn as well. We had hand me down clothes. I was the youngest girl and the only new clothes I had were coats because my dad made ladies coats for a living. We didn't have a washer, dryer, dishwasher or any fancy appliances but I had a great childhood. My parents taught us hard work pays off and my sister and I had successful careers

[@HyperBassYT]

My jaw dropped as he just started speaking fluent Russian.

[@claranoelledances]

native russian :D (sorry if thats a bit rude lol)

[@HyperBassYT]

@@claranoelledances Nah, you're good.

[@ermalhasanaj439]

He's saying: "Ето правда, Я родился в России и приехал в Америку когда мне было только 6 лет - It's true, I was born in Russia and I came to America when I was only 6 years old."

[@giannishen]

With an amazing pair of parents, your story is the best testimony to the realization of the American Dream! Mike, you are a role model for young people in the world, congratulations on such a successful achievement! 👍🤩👏

[@areldcookie5581]

You STORY IS INCREDIBLEDr. Mike !!! This is what inspires us. Especially me and my fellow developing country people to go on and continue pursuing the future ! God bless you

[@notvalk5475]

I remember in 1st grade, there was this kid named Amr in my class, and he was from Germany, but he understood the main basic words of English, and we became friends in the beginning of the school year, and I actually taught him a bit of English. I told him how you should pronounce some words like Paragraph, some English math terms, and also English numbers. I taught him a lot during lunch period, which made him actually feel happy that he was learning English from me. His parents knew a bit of English also, but they knew that Amr didn’t know as much as they do, but when I improves his language, his parents actually thanked me for helping him with the pronunciation of words, helping him in classes, and helping him learn how to understand a lot of math terms, which he didn’t learn yet in Germany.

[@cyntiatrevor8472]

As a Brazilian that came to the US a few years ago, I relate to a lot of things you went through. Truly inspiring! Thank you for this beautiful video.

[@Kelly-Bean23]

Wow, I didn’t know it was such a high stakes exit from Russia. It’s incredible what our parents do for us. I am the 3rd generation on my moms side, and it makes me appreciate my great Gidu’s story about leaving Lebanon a lot more. I’ve always wanted to visit and see where he grew up but being a border town, it isn’t advised with the war in Syria being such a big issue. Glad you’re here Dr. Mike 😎

[@MariaBelova]

It was USSR back than

[@cottagegremmy]

This video was honestly really beautiful and made me cry at the end. I come from a low class family in a big city. We've struggled my whole life and honestly I've always thought that maybe we were never meant to be successful or have money and that I was destined to live terribly forever. I used to have to skip meals to make sure my brother ate, take care of my knocked out drunk parents, and I used to have to do and see so many things a kid should never have to go through. Now I'm in college (2nd year) for psychology and english and I want to live abroad afterwards and open the world up for myself, because if I don't- who will? Getting more and more successful makes me realize that I can go against the system that made my family poor and come out as a winner. You inspire me so much with your story and I hope one day I share a story as impactful as yours.

[@sterlingsimmons2935]

I've worked with a child who only spoke Spanish for about 4 out of the 7 years I've been in education. I've always tried to verbally translate as much as I can for those students. They need that kind of support so they can be successful. Thankfully, I also work in a school with lots of bilingual students. And just as an aside, I have found that students who are learning English for the first time catch onto math concepts quickly. It's so important to nurture any skills they're doing well, because once they gain confidence in one academic skill, it is so much easier to help them learn other skills. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@daynadream]

I just want to appreciate your parents so much for working so hard, studying and sacrificing for their family but still making sure to spend quality time with their kids. Super inspiring!

[@mishybear42]

Repeating medical school in another language at the age of 40 is amazing!! Your dad is a rock star!

[@DizzKola3]

I absolutely love this! I’m a teacher and our school has many ENL students so it’s interesting to hear your personal thoughts as a child.

[@jamesleriger7959]

This is something that needs to be said more in our world. We live in a world where there are so many ungrateful kids who don’t appreciate what they have. Thank you Doctor Mike for using your platform to give this message.

[@falubii9712]

there are many more ungrateful adults

[@mariadanielasegura6451]

Moving to a different country at young age, I felt that deep. Being a Daca Recipient, seeing you success honestly is an inspiration❤️

[@ChuckleHoneybear]

As an immigrant myself I love this draw my life! SO funny and adorable .

[@Diana_flora]

Omg it looks like you had a great childhood!! And you’re so lucky that you still stayed in America😍😍

[@scruffdiddles9006]

The fact that this video has been up for less than ten minutes and already has over 350 comments, blows my mind.

[@brunacandida4232]

The fact that his family was a protective factor enough for him to "win" is so beautiful to me

[@DrucilaB]

One of the men that helped on the farm when I was a teenager was a doctor in Russia. He chose to be a mechanic when he moved here since he refused to speak English. But he understood everything we were saying, even when he made his kids translate for him. I learned so much from him and his family!

[@monkeylady8150]

My parents came to America from the recently ended Soviet Union when they were 13 (from Ukraine). In this analogy, I am like the child of Dr. Mike. My parents had to go through the whole being poor thing and immigrating, and becoming succesful, so I can live a wealthy life. I am extremely thankful for that. I still like to consider myself with a Ukranian/Slavic ethnicity, cause I still grow up (I am about the same age as my parents when they moved righ now) eating russian/ukranian food, and my first language and schools were russian, etc, and I still grow up following these traditions, kinda sad I never got to truly experience them, but I try my best.

[@monkeylady8150]

I did end up growing up in an american house, and go to an american school right now, and have an american life, and american beliefs. So, what am I?

[@Foxletta]

I was born in a very communistic part of Ukraine, I came to America when I was 10, now I am 18 :) I speak Russian though and I grew really poor, but just like what Mike said, it was crazy on how much you could get in America rather than in Europe/Eastern.

[@sleepyote]

Much respect to immigrant parents. 💚🤍♥️

[@savannahborizov4950]

my family is from macedonia. my grandfather immigrated here as a young teen. he’s truly my inspiration. he’s been a construction worker and he’s survived a triple bypass, heart attacks, cancer, etc. he always tells me “only the strong survive” 💘

[@eliana_sheep34]

Honestly, this is one of the most relatable draw my life vids for me personally. My family immigrated from Egypt to America when I was four and the experiences I've had are very similar to yours. It's so cool seeing how many people were put in situations like mine grow up.

[@lucks036]

I hope you have a good live in america and are happy and healthy! My boyfriend is also from egypt and I'm trying to help him to come live with me in the netherlands.

[@MooonMooo]

Same here. Immigrated to Canada at 6. Will always be grateful for what my parents did and how hard they worked!

[@tiffanyleite]

Your family has a really inspiring story and you’re such a singular person. I’ve just watched 3 videos of your YT channel and didn’t know you before. Loved your sense of humor. Thanks for the laughs today

[@edwardcrow6385]

Being first generation to a new country can be extremely jarring and can suck allot. I learned English when I was 3 by watching tv and speaking to my parents in Spanish. I very quickly became the house translator because I picked up both languages incredibly quickly. To this day I’m still fluent in both English and Spanish, reading and writing included. Life was crazy though, being that poor really humbles you. I remember having days where we had to sleep in the car because we had no where left to go. Buying all of our stuff at swap meets and second hand. And I agree, back then when you come from nothing all that stuff despite being incredibly cheap felt like a luxury in comparison to what you’d be able to get back in your home country. America is allot better than Mexico atleast I’d say so.

[@rachanasheba557]

Hola amigos

[@M13]

America is a great place for opportunities. But each and every year it gets harder and worse. That's the problem.

[@smb-c3po]

Blame our corrupt government.

[@SgtLion]

Social mobility in America poor these days, and steadily declining since 1940.

[@AstroGains]

GTA 4 says otherwise

[@thefrostyslime]

One of my 3rd grade students transferred from Brazil earlier this year and spoke absolutely zero English (same went for his parents). I knew some Japanese and Spanish, but that wasn't close enough to Portuguese to help him out... Fast forward a few months later, and he's crushing every subject, including English

[@maricruzcastillo2229]

It gives me great joy to hear the whole story of your video from when you were a child to now as an adult