Today we’d like to introduce you to J Mack Slaughter.
Hi J Mack, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was in a boy band that was put together on The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show which ended up touring with Destiny’s Child. I then left the band and moved to LA, where I landed roles on a TV series and in the feature film Fat Albert. After that, I decided to change it up a little and go to medical school and become a board-certified emergency medicine physician. After a decade of ignoring my past in entertainment, I decided to start making short videos with the goal of educating while simultaneously entertaining viewers. Since I started in January, I’ve had over 30 million views and have almost 300K followers!!!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Well, medical school was pretty intense, but the most difficult time psychologically was being in undergrad and not knowing whether I would get in or not. Once you get accepted, you just have to check boxes and work relentlessly to get your MD, but before getting accepted, that uncertainty is tough.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Although my online videos have had over 30 million views, I am most proud of the ones that could truly make a difference in people’s lives. I see some parents wait too late to bring their children to the emergency department for difficulty breathing, so when my video educating families on signs of respiratory distress got 1.8 million views, it felt like a big win!
Another project that I’m passionate about is a nonprofit I founded called Music Meets Medicine. We donate instruments and music lessons to patients at children’s hospitals. With the help of my friends at The Kid Kraddick Morning Show, we were able to raise $150,000 to donate a jam room at Children’s Medical Center Dallas!!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Not to brag, but I made more per week as a young TV actor than I will ever make as a doctor. The money didn’t determine my happiness, though!! It was the experiences I had and the people I was with that made me happy. Learning this at a young age freed me to forego a paycheck for nearly a decade and train to do something wildly different than I ever imagined myself doing!!
Contact Info:
- Email: jmack@MusicMeetsMedicine.org
- Website: MusicMeetsMedicine.org
- Instagram: Instagram.com/drjmackslaughter
- Other: tiktok.com/@drjmackslaughter_md
Image Credits
Rodger Mallison for the 2 Music Meets Medicine one on one hospital pictures.
