Dr. Pal Manickam is an Indian-origin gastroenterologist practicing in the United States, who is a board-certified doctor. He focuses on gut health and time-restricted eating, and follows a primarily plant-based diet. He is a doctor renowned for using a unique approach that combines in-person and virtual stand-up comedy to educate people about interventions for chronic diseases, known as ‘MedCom’.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Palaniappan Manickam was born on Tuesday, 15 November 1983 (age 40 years; as in 2023) in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Their zodiac sign is Scorpio. In 2007, he earned an MBBS degree from PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, followed by a master’s degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts Boston, USA. Later, he obtained his MD in Internal Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan, USA. In 2015, he completed his Gastroenterology fellowship at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, USA.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 10″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
He belongs to a middle class family in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents and siblings.
wife and children
In 2012, he married Priya, a data scientist in a software company. The couple have two sons. He lives with his family in Sacramento, California, USA.
Dr. Pal Manickam with his wife and children
livelihood
doctor
In July 2015, Manickam joined Dignity Health Medical Foundation as a consultant gastroenterologist in Sacramento, California.
His journey as a social media influencer began in March 2020, when he posted a video related to COVID-19 on social media. In an interview, he talked about how he became a content creator and said,
In March 2020, a non-profit organization wanted me to make an educational video on COVID awareness. My wife and my children were in Chennai then. I was supposed to join them but due to the lockdown I had to stay in California. Since I had time I made a 12 minute video and sent it. He said it resembled stand-up comedy and was not professional enough for a doctor’s presentation. I spent a lot of time building it and asking them what I should do with it. He asked me to upload it on YouTube and that’s when I came to know that one can start a YouTube channel with just a Gmail account. I sent the video clip to a WhatsApp group I knew and after that, it went viral quite quickly, mainly because of the time when Indians were trying to learn more about coronavirus.
Later, he started posting his videos on Instagram and Facebook. He has more than 15 lakh subscribers on YouTube and more than 10 lakh followers on Instagram. Initially, their video content focused on COVID-19, but over time, it evolved to cover topics like gut health, time-restricted eating, a mostly plant-based diet, and weight loss. Along with this change, Manickam also started studying stand-up comedy. In May 2020, he joined a standup comedy club called Building 18 in California, where he learned how to write scripts, deliver punchlines, understand the essence of stand-up comedy, and various tips and tricks in the field. He created the character ‘Saravana Kumar’ to establish a rapport with his audience. As part of his evolving approach, he began incorporating his ‘Medcom’ routine into live stand-up performances in both the United States and India. He shares educational content on gut health and chronic disease intervention through platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and personal engagement.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Young Investigator Award in Research Department
- Pioneer Award for the show ‘Medcom’ by American Tamil Entrepreneur Association
- Top Doctor Awards 2020
Dr. Pal after winning Top Doctor Award 2020
Facts/General Knowledge
- Dr. Pal once revealed that all the money generated from his various social media outlets is given to the Aishwaryaam Trust in Madurai. The foundation is dedicated to providing palliative care services.
- In December 2023, he was seen in an episode of Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast show ‘The Ranveer Show’.
Dr. Pal as a guest on ‘The Ranveer Show’
- In an interview, he revealed that at one time his weight used to be more than 100 kg and he had suffered a mild heart attack. He felt nervous during the consultation. Later, he took care of his health by doing intermittent fasting and lost 30 kg. He said,
Our body works best when it follows circadian rhythms, which means eating between sunrise and sunset, sleeping on time, and waking up on time. If one follows this then the hormonal imbalance will correct itself.
Dr. Pal before and after weight loss
- In an interview, while talking about how difficult it was for her to transition from a medical professional to a social media influencer, she said,
My main problem is to strike a balance between my business needs and my YouTube channel. I like making videos because it reaches a lot of people. I always feel guilty that I came to America for a better life and could not serve my people. I’m dealing with that guilt through this approach. Coming from a middle-class family, it was not easy to apply for the United States Medical Licensing Examination in 2006 given the difficulty of being the ‘first doctor’ in the family. It has helped me grow professionally and eventually I got this YouTube channel.
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
Dr. Pal is eating non-vegetarian food
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn