A former resident of Campbell University’s Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine and noted social media influencer appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Neutrogena on Sunday.
Dr. Muneeb Shah — better known as “DermDoctor” on TikTok with more than 17.7 million followers — appears with Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Tate McRae in a 15-second spot for Neutrogena Hydro Boost.
In the commercial, McRae sits in what looks like a psychiatrist’s office and worries aloud about the many things weighing on her (undone laundry, 768 unread texts). Shah appears onscreen and tells McRae he’s just her dermatologist and offers her the “weightless hydration gel.”
Shah is a board certified dermatologist from New York who earned his undergraduate degree at Hofstra University and his medical degree from Nova Southern University.
He completed his dermatology residency under Campbell’s medical school, which sponsored his program at Atlantic Dermatology in Wilmington in 2021. By then, he’d become an internet sensation for his short videos on TikTok and YouTube about skin care education and empowering people to make informed decisions about their skin health.
He told Campbell Magazine in 2021 that he saw TikTok as an extension of a clinic that allows him to share information with more people.
“Trust is the most valuable asset that we have as physicians and as content creators on social media,” Shah said. “Trust is earned through building communities and not necessarily given based on a set of credentials, especially nowadays. It’s important to try to understand where patients are coming from, how a condition may affect their lives, some of the barriers to treatment [such as finances] and some of the fears they have with treatment.
“If your patients trust you, they’re much more likely to follow a treatment plan.”
While exact figures aren’t out yet, roughly 130 million people are estimated to have watched this year’s Super Bowl. A 15-second Super Bowl ad ran between $4 million and $5 million this year.
Photo: Instagram, @doctorly