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Palaniappan Manickam

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Indian-American gastroenterologist
Palaniappan Manickam (Dr. Pal)
BornMadurai, India
Education
OccupationGastroenterologist
Known forMedia personality. ("MedCom")
Medical career
ProfessionMedical doctor, health advocate
FieldMedicine
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers3.02 million
Total views1.02 billion
Creator Awards
100,000 subscribers
1,000,000 subscribers
Last updated: April 2, 2024
Websitedrpalmanickam.com

Palaniappan Manickam, better known as Dr. Pal, is a board-certified gastroenterologist, who is originally from India, and currently practices in California. He specializes in gut health, time-restricted eating, and a mostly plant-based diet. He is also a celebrity doctor who uses in-person and virtual stand-up comedy("MedCom”) to educate the general public on chronic illness intervention.

Early life and education

Manickam was born and raised in Madurai, India. He received his MBBS from PSG Institute of Medical Sciences & Research in Coimbatore, India, his MPH from University of Massachusetts Boston, and his residency in Internal Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan. He did his gastroenterology fellowship at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.

Career

Manickam is a gastroenterologist at a hospital in Sacramento, California. He uses a form of stand-up comedy he calls “MedCom,” on social media and in person in order to educate the public on gut health and chronic illness intervention.

Manickam made his first video in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He notes that it "all started when an NGO got in touch with me saying they wanted a video for Covid awareness. I agreed and prepared a 10-minute script in four hours. They saw the video and wrote back to me saying this was very comical and that they wanted a professional video. I was gutted because I had spent a lot of time writing the jokes. They suggested I upload it to YouTube.” Manickam followed through and created a YouTube channel, uploading the video. He then shared the video with a WhatsApp group that he belonged to, and the video went viral. He subsequently developed his YouTube channel, and created channels on other social media outlets such as Instagram.

While the initial content of his videos focused on COVID-19, it gradually shifted to gut-health, time-restricted eating, mostly plant-based diets, and weight loss. Manickam also began to study the genre of stand-up comedy, and invented the character "Saravana Kumar” as a means of connecting with his audience. He eventually began to perform his “medcom” routines in live stand - up performances in the United States, India, and Malaysia.

Manickam says that his comedic videos and live performances are his form of giving back, as all funds collected from his media outlets go towards Aishwaryam Trust, Madurai (a foundation which offers Palliative care).

Honors

In 2024, Rediff.com listed Manickam as one of “India’s Top Social Media Influencers.”

Personal life

Manickam and his wife Priya live with their children in Sacramento, California.

References

  1. ^ "About DrPal". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Dr. Palaniappan Manickam, MD". Doximity. Archived from the original on 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  3. ^ Sunder, Kalpana (2023-11-05). "Losing belly fat, intermittent fasting for weight loss – doctor, YouTube star 'Dr Pal' uses humour to promote healthy living". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  4. ^ James, Merin (2023-08-02). "Medcom: Dr Pal's unique prescription to bridge health, humour". DT Next. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  5. ^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (2023-08-09). "Meet stand-up comedian Dr Pal, who combines medical information and comedy". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  6. "About Dr. Pal". drpalmanickam.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  7. ^ Clarance, Daphne (2024-01-01). "How a doctor is proving laughter is the best medicine". India Today. Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  8. ^ Rajagopal, Rashmi (2023-08-15). "Doctor uses 'med-comedy' to promote good health". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  9. ^ Ahmed, Muskaan (2023-08-27). "The doctor with a funny bone". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  10. ^ "Indian doctor in US on a mission to reduce people's belly fat". The Times of India. 2021-07-12. Archived from the original on 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  11. Manickam, Palaniappan. "Dr Palaniappan Manickam's Post:This is the #1 root cause of obesity". linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
  12. Mani, Sowmya (2023-10-23). "A Doctor or a Standup Comedian? Dr Pal Manickam On Using Laughter As Medicine For Millions". thebetterindia.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  13. Nair, Divya (2024-02-03). "India's Top Social Media Influencers". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  14. TN Health Desk (2023-01-18). "Fatty Liver Disease: Gastroenterologist stresses on taking action". Times Now. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-06.

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