Alumni On TikTok, ‘Dr. Dan’ Cohen ’91 Eases Health Anxiety with Humor Stories You May Like Hotelie Creates Hyper-Seasonal Cuisine, Served with Theatrical Flair Alum’s Podcast Partner Is Old Enough to Be … Her Grandmother! Alum Taps the Cannabis Market—With a Health-Oriented Twist The pediatrician casts his family in social media videos that debunk medical myths—and have educated millions By Joe Wilensky “Dad, I have the hiccups,” the 20-something daughter says, her complaint punctuated with audible evidence. “That lady died that one time on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ from the hiccups.” As her father curtly replies: “Stop watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’” In another scene in the same video, the daughter is worried that when she closes her eyes at night, she feels dizzy—and according to Google, “it could be reduced blood flow to the brain.” Her dad’s response? A skeptical stare, followed by one of his mantras: “Stop googling. Drink some water.” In their videos, Cohen and family blend health education and hijinks. The video is one of hundreds posted on TikTok and Instagram over the past year by Dan Cohen ’91, who has found online fame as “Dr. Dan Pediatrician.” Cohen, a pediatric and adolescent medicine physician, typically enlists his entire family in his posts. His wife, Darcy, and kids (Crew, 25; Bria, 23; and Cory, 18) perform scenarios—often comically overacting—involving everything from anxiety attacks and viral outbreaks to fevers, stomach bugs, concussions, and when to go to the ER. Stop googling. Drink some water. Darcy serves as Cohen’s producer, director, editor, and biggest booster; she also monitors the metrics and shapes the chosen topics. (The kids get a stipend for their contributions.) Cohen has a knack for easing viewers’ stress about medical worries—dispensing pithy advice, debunking myths and misconceptions, and showcasing relatable teasing, dad jokes, and family banter. The posts also share moments like the making of the family’s annual holiday card. The approach works: he has built an online following of more than 500,000 on TikTok and another 340,000 on Instagram. (He even has his own line of merch.) And the posts—even with their brief, no-nonsense advice—have saved lives, Cohen says. One viewer, for example, realized she was having a heart attack because one of his videos had pointed out how the symptoms in women often differ from those in men. Cohen has a knack for easing viewers’ stress about medical worries—dispensing pithy advice, debunking myths and misconceptions, and showcasing relatable teasing, dad jokes, and family banter. Says Cohen: “People have told us, ‘I diagnosed my kid’s appendicitis because of this,’ and ‘I got my child into therapy.’” Now based in Westchester County, NY, Cohen decided on a career in medicine at age seven. Stories You May Like Hotelie Creates Hyper-Seasonal Cuisine, Served with Theatrical Flair Alum’s Podcast Partner Is Old Enough to Be … Her Grandmother! (His parents had met at the Chapter House; his mom went to Ithaca College and his dad, Guy Cohen ’66, was a student on the Hill.) The future physician majored in biology in Arts & Sciences and went on to med school at Tufts. He did his residency at Columbia and taught clinical pediatrics there for several years, eventually joining his current practice in the suburbs north of NYC. It was Cohen’s wife who gave him the idea of putting a few educational videos on TikTok in 2025. The first ones, with Dr. Dan seated behind a desk, had little online impact. But a 40-second short—titled “When Your Father is a Doctor” and posted in June 2025—went viral, racking up nearly 22 million views and more than 7,000 comments. As an undergrad, near his Stewart Avenue apartment. In its three rapid scenes, son Crew complains that his stomach hurts, he has a headache, and he injured his left hand. Barely looking up from his laptop, Cohen asks him if he can jump up and down without pain (ruling out appendicitis) and if he can look up at the ceiling (ruling out meningitis)—then matter-of-factly tells him to use his right hand instead. “You’re fine,” Cohen tells him with a weary sigh. As millions viewed the humorous video, it became clear there was an audience for Cohen’s content: he’d tapped into the anxieties of a post-pandemic, social media-fueled landscape rife with medical myths, quick fixes, and a stubborn distrust of experts. A sampling of Cohen's recent TikToks. Darcy and the kids had always been open about their own health worries—like a phobia about throwing up or fearing that a sudden headache indicates a brain tumor—and were willing to share them with viewers. “The thing that really surprised me was how little information you needed to give,” Cohen observes, “that just recognizing people’s fears, and allowing them to understand that they’re not alone, really makes a difference." Cohen—who stresses that that his brief, common-sense advice is meant to serve as the start of a conversation—doesn’t suggest a total avoidance of online searches or AI chatbots for medical advice. Just recognizing people’s fears, and allowing them to understand that they’re not alone, really makes a difference. But, he warns, when people use those tools, they tend to stop when they find an answer that resonates with them—whether it makes them feel better or worse. “As a doctor, I’ve been trained to think about the what-ifs,” he says. “We work by ruling things out, and that’s a very different mindset.” Cohen largely eschews politics—which can be challenging for a pediatrician with a passion for education and combating misinformation, especially given today’s polarization on topics like vaccines, supplements, and diet. “In talking with parents, I always start with where we meet: that we care for your kids,” Cohen says. “We both want them to be as healthy and happy as possible.” (All images provided.) Published August 17, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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