How I Grew to 1M YouTube Subscribers in Medical School - Kharma Medic

Nasir said his YouTube channel began after trying to offer help on forums and getting no traction, and he wanted to help a “handful” of people experience the feeling he had when he got accepted to medical school. He later said that over time the “selfish reasons” (keeping a big platform growing, future opportunities) increased, even though the starting motivation was altruistic.

Nasir described early growth as “extremely slow” in numbers but highly gratifying qualitatively due to the creative process and early positive feedback. He also described actively hustling for initial viewers by answering questions on forums and then directing people via DMs, since posting links publicly could get him banned.

Nasir emphasized that consistency is necessary but not sufficient; creators also need to improve, learn, and make content people want to watch. He said there’s a “minimum threshold” of production quality, and beyond that, other factors matter more; he also tried to add something new in each video (e.g., editing techniques) to stay intellectually stimulated and improve over time.

Nasir said he chooses videos based on what he wants to make and what he believes will provide value, even if he expects some will “tank” in views. He also described wanting to avoid turning YouTube into a job, saying that focusing too much on numbers or optimizing content can reduce fun, and he’s “scared” of that happening.

Nasir said he rarely takes sponsorships because sponsors make videos feel like a chore (deadlines, reviews, negotiation), which “sucks the fun out” and increases burnout risk. He framed YouTube as a part-time hobby, with medicine as his intended main career, and said he prefers long-term longevity of enjoyment over short-term money.