He has talked about patients in the vaguest of terms. There was one video he did which was a day in the life kind of video but at work and he had a disclaimer at the beginning discussing patient confidentiality and that when he spoke of patients it was as profiles (I think that was the term?). So things like “there was a patient showing signs of X” and obviously no photos or footage of them, just him. Can’t fault him for that. I did wonder how I would feel if I was having a blood test or something and beforehand was told he was filming a video but I wouldn’t be in it, etc.
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Exactly.
He's not going to talk about a patient online unless you've got like 2 dicks or something just as rare.
In the beginning he was quite interesting, but recently he has turned very strange. He seems to have really lost his path in life and I’m never sure if he is joking with some of his goals, like Gymshark / NYT award winning writer etc. It’s so repetitive it’s just become strange to watch. Every book he reads has changed his life which is also a load of bull. Don’t know what to make of him anymore
He also looks much unhealthier, I feel like he has become quite unhappy, he no longer seems to be happy to lucky
I think like what a lot of people have said, that he found a way of making tit tons of money and dropped everything for that as he probably felt like it would be the easy option. Little work, (comparatively to being a doctor) people know his name, and he’s rich as hell and can do what he wants with that. Perhaps it’s hitting him now that that is no life to live. I know we slate him for not being a doctor at heart but I wonder whether he is realising that although right now it wouldn’t rake in the money for him, that at least it was something fulfilling. There’s more to life than being rich.
Off topic - what do people think of his singing? any singers out there who can give their thoughts? Personally I'm not a fan but I wonder how he sounds to others
saw this in the Ruby Granger thread and felt like it was relevant to Ali too.
Throwaway account on my off day - I enjoy Taimur's content surrounding teaching, as well as his attitudes more. After listening to the NO podcast, partly due to curiosity I was directed to this place.
Despite the best attempts at being vague, Ali actually has disclosed sensitive patient information where I can name the patient and who he was describing, what ward they were on, related clinical patient information and hospital they were being treated at. (For reference it's mentioned in the video he discusses about his junior doctor experience working in an "elderly ward"). Although I will disclose I am a fellow professional, one year on I am still able to remember the patient's appearance and associated information of the mutual patient we cared for because of it.
If you're still reading this board Ali, I would highly recommend to be more aware of GDPR article 4.
To be frank, it's honestly okay to say medicine is not your cup of tea and drop it. From experience, 60+% of people in medicine don't have the right character to be in medicine (Covid is just one more piece of evidence to throw on the pile).
In my opinion, social media personalities have similarities to people in medicine. They both often try to craft a character and response in a way they believe their audience wants to see (even when revealing their weaknesses and vulnerabilities) instead of revealing their true response. Personally, this behaviour is what gives me the underlying feeling of "inauthenticity".
Just my 2 cents to the board.
I've been meaning to watch the video he wrote about his book and how he had to scrap it (the title is something like "I wasted 6 months of my life" or something similar), but this vibe you've identified here keeps stopping me doing so.
Thanks for this - really interesting. I agree with your point about crafting a character, and with other posters who've said he doesn't seem as happy go lucky nowadays. Admittedly we are in a pandemic and lockdown and that's utterly tit, but nonetheless - something's changed. Do we think he'll get his mojo back?
I've only discovered him in the last year or so. Some of his videos are pretty interesting but I have no interest in watching productivity etc so I skip the majority.
Whoever mentioned it earlier about the same jokes repeating in every vlog, it's so true! Gymshark athlete, Hinge, waste man. You can tick them off every 'day in the life' video.
Just me or does he come across as a bit of an 'incel'?
Whoever mentioned it earlier about the same jokes repeating in every vlog, it's so true! Gymshark athlete, Hinge, waste man. You can tick them off every 'day in the life' video.
Just me or does he come across as a bit of an 'incel'?
So, I have a friend that watches Ali's content. That is how I got introduced to him in the first place. My friend was in that Zoom call thingy he did for writing books. Somebody apparently asked him about his USMLE prep and if he was still doing it.
His answer was, "LOL no"
Guess he is done being a doctor, even for part time.
Anybody else saw his friend Alphie Yip make a video where he capitalised "productively" in the title? People following Ali's footsteps.
His answer was, "LOL no"
Guess he is done being a doctor, even for part time.
I like Soony. Although I do not watch him frequently (I do not follow anyone on youtube and I only watch him if he gets on my feed and I am interested in the title). He is right. This toxic productivity is becoming so mainstream. I like to be productive myself but it is better to not get lost in the oversaturated content.
Anybody else saw his friend Alphie Yip make a video where he capitalised "productively" in the title? People following Ali's footsteps.
Or maybe just giving up on moving to the US to be a doctor, which I get completely. American board exams are long and arduous and moving there is very tricky. Then once you're there the work-life balance is awful and there's very little workers rights. He can go to most countries in the world without having to take extra exams with his degree and experience so I think he'll go to Australia or somewhere instead.
he truly did make these exact vids tho
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tbh I don't think that's as nearly bad as what some other youtubers are pushing. I don't see a problem with him saying he's had a 'productive week/day of revision' etc so long as he's not promoting unrealistic goals, which is the problem with the 'productivity culture' of much of study youtube (i.e. not the fact that they're promoting productivity but the fact that the version of 'productivity' they promote is often unattainable and can quickly lead to burnout)
I used to really enjoy watching TheStriveToFit's videos (Jamie, I think?) and went back to her channel a few months ago because she is doing her medical training in NYC, which was a COVID hotspot at the time. She has spoken about what it's like working in medicine under these conditions, when so many emergencies are people with COVID, and so many patients die on the daily.
The situation in the UK is also terrible, and I wondered whether Ali was lucky, in a way, to have taken his gap year before the start of the pandemic, and whether he may be postponing his career plans until after the pandemic? I wouldn't judge that decision negatively per se, NHS workers are working under poor conditions as it is, but surely re-entry into that system feels even less appealing at a time like this. At the same time, there isn't much else to do, influencers don't really have anywhere to go or anyone to talk to so they end up in this weird spiral where they make videos about being productive, but they are only productive because they make their productivity videos... also an exhausting situation, I guess.
I'd be interested to hear Ali talk about COVID more (I don't watch all of his videos but don't recall him addressing it a whole lot), especially from the perspective of a medical professional in GB...
The situation in the UK is also terrible, and I wondered whether Ali was lucky, in a way, to have taken his gap year before the start of the pandemic, and whether he may be postponing his career plans until after the pandemic? I wouldn't judge that decision negatively per se, NHS workers are working under poor conditions as it is, but surely re-entry into that system feels even less appealing at a time like this. At the same time, there isn't much else to do, influencers don't really have anywhere to go or anyone to talk to so they end up in this weird spiral where they make videos about being productive, but they are only productive because they make their productivity videos... also an exhausting situation, I guess.
I'd be interested to hear Ali talk about COVID more (I don't watch all of his videos but don't recall him addressing it a whole lot), especially from the perspective of a medical professional in GB...
I also think he hated his job because he had to travel so far too! Like it’s odd he never did a video on covid and being a doctor apart from Instagram posts with that cringe hashtag but he was never in those wards? Can’t recall him doing an A & E rotation??
yeah he did a long blog post about his goals where he mentioned he'd never done an a&e job, but wants to work as a locum. and do humanitarian work
Dunno, maybe he just needs to admit that he likes business, finding money glitches etc. and doesn't really care for med. Honestly, most med students and docs <40s should just admit it that they realise they don't actually care for being a doctor.
From speaking to Ali in real life, he's alright. Just a relatively normal guy, usual sheltered middle class kid stuff, but that's the majority of the medical cohort. As a state schooler most of my peers are completely unrelatable even now.
As a healthcare professional you have play it like an athlete. My working class immigrant and scholarship sports experience was probably the best training I had - sometimes game day will suck no matter how well you played and sometimes you lose because you sucked. Just got to take it as it is, get ready for the next match and slog on. When I first start working it was a piece of piss as all the downsides still sure beat hard, manual labour or trying to peel potatoes in your icebox of a takeaway house till midnight without chopping your freezing hands off by the chipper during your childhood.
Yes, bad things happen and people die. Sometimes multiple people die on your watch on the same day, but you have to reflect that you did the best you could with the information and resources at that particular point in time. There is a small layer of callousness you need otherwise it will eat you alive. This refers back to my initial comment on needing a certain character, many people nowadays are have the preconception that they'll die a martyr akin to the medical dramas they see on TV and often too overly attached to doing everything under the sun for a patient, where staff and ever increasing demands placed on the service (by patients, government, non clinical admin etc.) often going against better clinical judgement.
A 1 hour one way (yes these are consultants and senior regs) trip to work is laughable that's what most people do now, if not 2 hours now in Cambridgeshire, no new consultant can afford a place in central Cambridge now. THAT'S THE NORM - if people complain about travel times they might as well quit now because it can get a lot worse than 1 hour.
As with the current situation going on about thankless jobs, pay (re: pay, I feel for the HCAs, staff nurses etc., but not doctors), but I thought that was what you're work experience was for and I guess your personal statement was just a bunch of bullshit. I always stress that going into healthcare is something you should really think about and only after a long consideration, something that you a 95% sure is something you want to do, only then should you go for it.
You'll take home increasing workloads (just finishing up some research stuff now I'm fact), use up a tonne of goodwill while you do extra work for no pay or on the weekends. But there's a big difference fully understanding and accepting those negatives than looking like a deer in the headlights - most now don't understand what the drawbacks truly entail.
You get paid because of the level of stuff you have to deal with and it's not worth the money. Most people that want to be docs get there because they were too unimaginative.
It's funny as Ali's current journey is like a mirror of my own, just in reverse. Always glad I started med later with my finances set for life first.
(Side note: US healthcare sucks ass, my US healthcare friends are having a mare of a time. Australia and New Zealand has it's own set of problems for healthcare - newsflash it's the same situation all around the world.)
One time a surgical session finished up at 10pm and a colleague had to drive back home 1.5 hours away, but there was a road accident causing diversions. They ended up getting home at 3am.
And yes, although we officially get the lists cancelled due to overextended surgical sessions consultants will typically come in during the afternoon or do backlogged paperwork if unfit to do clinical work.
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If you dont mind me asking, how old were you when you started your medical journey?
This will be the last post.
Late twenties took equity in a company that blew up, paid my own way through it. Old af now.
If you're thinking of taking it up here are the negatives:
Surgery - extended sessions that can go on till the next morning.
Increasing admin roles - everyone takes turns holding the bag of medical director. Dealing with bone headed non clinical management, you'll be clashing with them for the rest of your life.
Research - if you don't like academia have fun reading through all the new papers you need to keep up with, papers you're involved in and conferences you have to attend.
Seniority - if you think FY is bad, it gets worse as you go up. Senior reg years are probably the worst. No extra pay as you get consultancy as that's now part of your 70-100k salary. On call 24/7.
Office politics and bullying - if you're a women, BAME, working class you still get crap. Environment can be notoriously toxic if you don't know how to draw boundaries and not give a crap - just fight your own corner, don't let ANYONE make you feel inferior. The behaviours is what you put in - take on the same toxic behaviours you'll be the same, try find some positives and fun in it and you'll be one of the much needed role models to create more positive environments. Right now, ongoing Covid has made everyone miserable, up to you to make the situation what it is.
Got an iron stomach - you'll know when you drain that abscess or treat necrosis.
You'll get a load of crap - over demanding patients, blame for letting xyz die, bad day, bad colleagues, management pressures - Don't be a martyr.
Can't handle just going to and from home and work - well maybe you'll have more empathy for the Filipino, Indian, Spanish, Polish etc. workers who do much more for less. Make sure your place is as close to work as possible in the early years, you're there to work and learn not have fun. If you wanted to have fun to frolick in London or some other "exciting place" choosing med was stupid.
Pay - if you're complaining about pay I'll be laughing in your face, you can earn more than most people ever will 4 years out of sheltered school, especially with all the OT you'll be doing anyway. The money will pile up because if you're serious, in the early days you won't have much time to spend it except on study/exam materials. Maybe, I'll give the ever shrinking pension limits a pass, but you'll end up with a £1-3mil pension just by doing the normie stuff.
Finance - just because you're a doc, you ain't a wallstreet god. You're good at medicine and that's it. If you don't know how to read a financial statement understand SGA, EBITDA, GM, SBC, OC etc. Stick to the regular stuff. None of those arbitrage plays, margin or options playing. If you're thinking about that, you should have aggressively saved in the short term and max out your ISA accounts when you first started working. (Or should've done something else because you're trying to make money asap to get out of your crappy medicine job)
If you plan to have a family or get married. Make sure you have a ride or die partner and have a solid inner team, divorces and marriage troubles are everywhere. Engage with your partner and kids with quality time, because you've knowingly or unknowingly sacrificed them to the demands of medicine too - don't be like most who think buying the latest and greatest toys for them will replace time spent away from them.
To me, family life will always come first, because they've already gave so much to allow you to do this. Never let management guilt trip or bully you to take on ever increasing workloads, yes you are expected to go above and beyond every so often, but don't make that the norm. Patient care is a black hole that you'll never plug up. Accept it. If they keep pushing tell them they can duck right off.
If you've made good financial decisions and kept lifestyle inflation low you can easily be financially independent in your 30s-40s, especially when your mortgage is paid off - If you're still paying out of your arse to live in the hip places, that's on you.
I feel very comfortable living off £15-20k/yr (no mortgage, important), where it doesn't feel like I'm being deprived of anything. When you've lived like that all your life, everything else is a bonus. Nowadays I would say I'm extremely privileged.
All in all, you have to be a machine with a switch to modulate the empathy to show kindness to and care for people. But when the time comes to make the uncomfortable decisions you have to show no mercy and full conviction regardless of the consequences or reputation hit. If you didn't think medicine through, prepare to be bitterly disappointed.
Fun group, fun discussion. Don't get too hung up on what everyone else is doing, prioritise real life stuff, making good on your own life and creating a life that you envision.
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