Apple hires YouTube-famous Canadian doctor to work on family medicine concepts

The latest addition to Apple's health division is Dr. Mike Evans, a Canadian doctor best known for a YouTube channel in which he tackles common medical problems and broader issues.

Evans is already working at Apple, helping to "chart the future of family medicine," the CBC reported. Despite the enormous distance, he's commuting between Toronto and Cupertino, Calif. while his older son finishes high school. Previously in his career Evans was a staff physician at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital, and he maintains roles with the University of Toronto and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.

"I think why they are engaging me is the messaging," Evans told CBC Radio, without offering any other details. "We're searching for consistency, not perfection."

The doctor commented that he turned down an Apple offer once before, but the company kept in contact. "They were most interested, interestingly, in how I worked with creatives," he told the CBC.

Each of Evans' YouTube videos features him speaking over a series of animated whiteboard cartoons, tackling everything from genomic sequencing to getting through a "crap week."

While it's unclear what Apple might have in mind for Evans, he told the CBC that the future of medicine might involve prescribing apps.

"One of our whiteboards will drop in and explain what high blood pressure is," he said. "The phone will be bluetoothed to the cap of your pills. I'll nudge you towards a low salt diet. All of these things will all happen in your phone. I see you two or three days a year. The phone sees you everyday."

That might suggest that material similar to Evans' YouTube videos will make its way into future Apple software.