Dr Pal Manickam

Some Lesser Known Facts About Dr Pal Manickam

• Dr Pal Manickam is a board-certified Indian-origin gastroenterologist practising in the USA, specializing in gut health and time-restricted eating, and promotes plant-based diet. He is recognized for his unique approach, incorporating both in-person and virtual stand-up comedy, referred to as ‘MedCom,’ to educate individuals about interventions for chronic illnesses.

• In 2015, he finished his gastroenterology fellowship at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.

• In July 2015, he was appointed as a consultant gastroenterologist at Dignity Health Medical Foundation in Sacramento, California.

• In March 2020, he began his career as a social media influencer, when he shared a video related to COVID-19 on various social media platforms. In an interview, he discussed how he was introduced to the world of content creation and mentioned,
  

  In March 2020, a non-profit organisation wanted me to do an educational video on Covid awareness. My wife and my kids were in Chennai then. I was supposed to join them but because of the lockdown, I had to stay back in California. Since I had time on my hands, I created the 12-minute video and sent it. They said it looked like stand-up comedy and wasn’t professional enough for a doctor’s presentation. I’d spent so much time on making it and asked them what I should do with it. They told me to upload it to YouTube and that’s when I discovered one can start a YouTube channel with just a Gmail account. I sent the video clip to a WhatsApp group I know and after that, it went viral quite fast, mainly because of the timing as Indians were trying to know more about the coronavirus.” ^[3]The Times of India

• He has over 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 1 million followers on Instagram.

• Initially focusing on COVID-19, his video content later expanded to involve subjects like gut health, time-restricted eating, mostly plant-based diets, and weight loss.

• Manickam always had a knack for comedy and often involved a little bit of comedy in his medical studies and after becoming a content creator, he studied stand-up comedy. Joining the ‘Building 18’ stand-up comedy club in California in May 2020, he gained knowledge about scriptwriting, delivering punchlines, and the essence of stand-up comedy, acquiring various tips and tricks in the field.

  

• To involve comedy in his social media content, he introduced the character ‘Saravana Kumar’ to connect with his audience, he integrated his ‘MedCom’ routines into live stand-up performances in both the United States and India. Utilizing platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as in-person events, he shares educational content on gut health and chronic illness intervention.

• In an interview, he revealed that he used to weigh over 100 kg and had experienced a mild heart attack, encountering palpitations during a consultation. Later, he prioritized his health, incorporating intermittent fasting into his routine and successfully shedding 30 kg of weight. He shared,
  

  Our bodies work best when they follow the circadian rhythm, which means one must eat between sunrise and sunset, sleep on time and wake up on time. Hormonal imbalances will sort themselves out if one follows this.” ^[4]Deccan Herald

  

• In an interview, he discussed the challenges he faced when transitioning from a medical professional to a social media influencer, he said,
  

  My main problem is to balance my professional requirements and the YouTube channel. I love doing videos because it reaches so many people. I always have this guilty feeling that I came to the US for a better life and couldn’t serve my people. I’m dealing with that guilt through this approach. Coming from a middle-class family, applying for the United States medical licensing exams in 2006 was a no-brainer given the difficulty of being the ‘first doctor’ in the family. It has helped me grow professionally and eventually has led to this YouTube channel.” ^[5]The Times of India

• Dr Pal Manickam once disclosed that all the funds generated from his multiple social media platforms are used as funds for the Aishwaryam Trust in Madurai, which delivers palliative care services. ^[6]Deccan Herald

• In December 2023, he was featured as a guest on ‘The Ranveer Show,’ a podcast show hosted by famous YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia.