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Dr. Pal
Born (1983-11-15) 15 November 1983 (age 42)
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Education
OccupationGastroenterologist
Known forMedia personality, stand-up comedy, health advocacy
Medical career
ProfessionMedical doctor, health advocate, stand-up comedian
FieldMedicine
Sub-specialtiesGastroenterology
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers3.94 million
Views1,985,786,064
Last updated: September 16, 2026
Websitedrpalmanickam.com

Palaniappan Manickam (born 15 November 1983), better known as Dr. Pal,[1] is an Indian American gastroenterologist,[2] stand-up comedian, and social media personality[1] currently setting up a clinic in India. He specializes in gut health, and time-restricted eating. 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

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Palaniappan Manickam was born on 15 November 1983 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.[1][3][4] 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.[5][6] He did his gastroenterology fellowship at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.[2][5]

Career

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Manickam is a gastroenterologist in Sacramento, California[1][4] and uses a form of stand-up comedy he calls "MedCom,"[7] on social media and in person in order to educate the public on gut health and chronic illness intervention.[4][3][8][9] His fans fondly refer to him as "Gutman", a portmanteau of Batman.He is serving as Director of preventive Gastroenterology, California.

Manickam made his first video in March 2020[10] 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."[9] 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.[10] He subsequently developed his YouTube channel, and created channels on other social media outlets such as Instagram.[7]

While the initial content of his videos focused on COVID-19, it gradually shifted to gut-health,[7] time-restricted eating,[3] mostly plant-based diets,[11] and weight loss.[1] 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.[7] He eventually began to perform his "medcom" routines in live stand - up performances in the United States, India,[4][9] and Malaysia.[12]

Manickam says that his comedic videos and live performances are his form of giving back,[10] as all funds collected from his media outlets go towards Aishwaryam Trust, Madurai (a foundation which offers Palliative care).[8]

Honors

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In 2024, Rediff.com listed Manickam as one of "India's Top Social Media Influencers."[13]

Personal life

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His wife Vishnupriya "Priya"[10] lives in Chennai, India with their children Arjun and Adharvaa. Dr. Pal is preparing to set up a clinic there.[14][15]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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.
  2. 1 2 "Dr. Palaniappan Manickam, MD". Doximity. Archived from the original on 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  3. 1 2 3 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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 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.
  5. 1 2 Paurush, Omar (2025-12-11). "Idli is getting killed in the North: Gastro doctor Dr Pal reveals the secret to restoring the true health power of the South Indian classic". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  6. ↑ "About Dr. Pal". drpalmanickam.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  7. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 "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. ↑ Paitandy (2025-05-08). "Meet Dr Pal Manickam, the gut doctor who is also a standup comedian". The Hindu. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  15. ↑ 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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