When Olivier Marpeau returns home, to his house near Aix-en-Provence, it is a priori a gynecologist like any other, who returns to his daily life, between the children’s duties to manage and the mischief of the dog in the garden . If you look closely, however, there are a few small details that are unmistakable, hidden between the sofa and a chest of drawers in the living room. There, in a corner, a tripod. Here, across the room, a projector across the room. A little further on, a teleprompter. Because Olivier Marpeau is not a doctor like the others. Once his consultations have been completed, the doctor takes off his coat to put on another costume: that of an Instagrammer.
A year ago, this gynecologist from Aix opened an Instagram and Tikt Tok account, called “Mon. gyneco”. “At the time, I vaguely knew Instagram, even less Tik Tok,” he recalls. But I found it to be a great tool for popularizing gynecology. I have always liked doing things different from my job. I also like explaining things and transmitting them. And I found it funny. » Olivier talks about his idea to his partner Alexandra. Someone who is a business developer in life immediately takes the subject seriously. “I told him: Okay, but with what objectives? »
Tips for leaving the pool
Before publishing the first video, the couple therefore develops a clear strategy, with a rhythm of three videos per week. “It took us months to get started,” Alexandra remembers. We put in place a graphic charter, for example, and a sort of business plan. I thought that in December we would have 5,000 subscribers and that in a year we would have 20,000 and potentially a book on the way. » The couple talks about their new project to their five children, the youngest of whom is ten years old. “At the beginning, what did they make fun of,” laughs Alexandra. They were also a little embarrassed. They saw us as old people who showed up on Instagram and wondered what the hell we were doing there! »
With a relaxed tone, while cooking or coming out of his swimming pool, the gynecologist addresses all the subjects of concern and other fake news linked to his discipline, sometimes by answering questions asked by his wife Alexandra, in voice off. “I see 400 patients a day, so I get ideas for topics during consultations, or from questions on social networks. »Then it remains to find the time to shoot the videos. “It’s like a second day of work,” explains Alexandra. We shoot in the evening, when we don’t have the kids. The other day, for a video on semen allergy, we had just gotten up. We were eating scrambled eggs and I said, ‘Come on, let’s shoot the video!'”
Emmanuel Macron follow
In a few months, subscribers multiply and views climb. With a big surprise boost. A day that Alexandra and Olivier recount with the same excitement. “It was at the beginning of the year and I was coming out of the operating room,” remembers the gynecologist. I look at Instagram and see that I received a private message from a verified account. It was the Elysée. I told myself straight away that it was bullshit. » Alexandra takes over from her companion. And quickly realizes that it is anything but a joke. In her living room, Alexandra holds up her phone to show the famous message that she has carefully preserved. The teams of the President of the Republic have indeed canvassed “Mon. gyneco” to promote the papillomavirus vaccination campaign. “We were like kids when we found out,” laughs Olivier, who doesn’t hesitate for a second before accepting the presidential proposal. The gynecologist, however, had to make a concession: put on a suit.
After several days of work, the video saw the light of day, and the couple new to social networks received this lunar message, which Alexandra read with the same enthusiasm. “The president really likes it. » A spotlight which allowed “Mon. gyneco” to gain a lot of subscribers… And not the least. One evening, Olivier receives a notification unlike any other. “Emmanuel Macron started following you” The screenshot is still well preserved in the doctor’s phone today. Olivier smiles. “I left it five minutes before subscribing to his account. »
“I realize that it’s all a bit crazy”
On his sofa, Olivier is laughing. “I now count my views and my subscribers at the Stade de France. I say to myself: “Hey, today I covered ten furlongs! ”” His children who made fun of him yesterday today beg him to tag him in their story. The gynecologist is sometimes recognized in the street, and is increasingly sought after by the media, while his first book, released on October 31, A thousand questions to my gynecologist. But there is no question of giving in to media sirens and stopping consultations.
“I’m aware that it’s all a bit crazy,” Olivier breathes. But I love what I do and I don’t want to stop at all. » In the corridors of the clinic in which he works, Olivier and his videos have even made babies. “At the beginning, my colleagues looked at me like: ‘What did Olivier do? He cracked!” And yesterday, an ENT who opened an Instagram account asked me what I thought about it! »