Dr. Palaniappan Manickam, who is known as Dr. Pal, is a California-based gastroenterologist. He articulates medical information intermixed with humor that gained popularity over various social media platforms and gained millions of followers.
The journey began in 2020, during the COVID pandemic period when an NGO approached Dr. Palaniappan and asked him to create an awareness video on COVID-19. He accepted the request and created a video. After seeing the video, they said that it was humorous and that they wanted a professional video. He felt unhappy, as it took him four hours to prepare the video. They also suggested him to upload the video to YouTube. So, he uploaded the video, and it went viral all over the social media platforms and reached 14 lakh views on YouTube. It gave him a new way to explore.
He started making informative videos, melding humor with topics like intermittent fasting, weight loss, and the ways to maintain the health of the gut. He gained a massive following all over social media. His debut video has over 500k views, and he has millions of followers on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
He introduced MEDCOM, or medical comedy, which is a stand-up comedy show. The main essence of this show is laughter with medical information. Initially, he uploaded the videos on YouTube; after that, he shifted to Instagram. He enunciated all his views through an imaginary friend, Saravana Kumar, who had terrible lifestyle preferences like eating processed foods and sugar. Dr. Pal’s Instagram reel about the reverse banana leaf method has surpassed 15 million views.
He said that, while medicine is a serious profession, writing is also a serious business. However, I'm competent at blending the two concepts that I'm devoted to, so I didn't find it challenging; it was satisfying.
Dr. Pal explained about gut bacteria. He said that an unhealthy gut is the main reason for diseases. Our gut is like a second brain, so you should incorporate fermented foods and high-fiber foods into the diet every day. He also acknowledges that intermittent fasting aids in incremental weight reduction.
The doctor also shared his journey facing trolling and objections online. But the results of his medical information are seen through various incidents. A woman wrote a letter to Dr. Pal about how she managed her PCOS condition and finally got pregnant by thoroughly following the healthy tips of Dr. Pal after failing the IVF procedure multiple times.
For an easy understanding of the medical information, the doctor also intends to bring up more fictitious personalities in his comic videos. He expressed that this work gives him more satisfaction than other work.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina)
Reference:
https://youtu.be/n9wQrjPlgc0?si=z7V7oihsU6QtbyB2
https://twitter.com/drpal_manickam?lang=enhttps://
www.instagram.com/dr.pal.manickam/
