ZDoggMD
Real name: Zubin Damania
Internist with an MD from UCSF and residency training at Stanford, where he later served as a hospitalist and adjunct clinical assistant professor. Runs a YouTube channel and podcast covering healthcare topics. Founded the primary care practice Turntable Health.
Biography
Zubin Damania, known online as ZDoggMD, is an American internist trained at two of the United States' most respected medical institutions. He earned his MD from UCSF in 1999 and completed his internal medicine residency at Stanford University Medical Center, where he went on to work as a hospitalist and hold an appointment as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine. He received the Russell Lee Award for Clinical Teaching during his Stanford years, recognising his ability to communicate medicine effectively to trainees.
ZDoggMD's public presence began with musical parody videos about the frustrations of practising medicine—pieces that combined clinical insider knowledge with accessible humour to address topics like overworked physicians, the US healthcare system, and patient-doctor communication. Over time his platform broadened into direct commentary on alternative medicine, vaccine science, and healthcare policy, delivered through his Incident Report podcast and video series. His voice is distinctive within medical communication for combining frank internal critique of the medical profession itself with rigorous rejection of pseudoscience.
Damania founded Turntable Health in Las Vegas, an innovative direct primary care practice backed by entrepreneur Tony Hsieh, which was widely cited as a model for healthcare delivery reform before closing following Hsieh's death. His willingness to criticise both the healthcare establishment and its alternatives—holding both to the same evidence standard—gives his work an unusual credibility among healthcare professionals and informed patients alike.
Credentials
MD, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (1999)
Medical degree from UCSF, one of the world's top-ranked medical schools
Residency in Internal Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine (1999–2002)
Completed internal medicine residency at Stanford University Medical Center
Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford University
Held faculty appointment at Stanford during his time as a hospitalist
Hospitalist Physician, Stanford University Hospital (2003–2012)
Practised as a hospitalist at Stanford, receiving the Russell Lee Award for Clinical Teaching
Founder, Turntable Health
Founded an innovative primary care practice in Las Vegas with backing from Tony Hsieh; the model was widely cited in healthcare reform discussions