Skip to content

Why I'm starting a Vlog - Cambridge Medical Elective #01

2017-07-15 · Vlog or day in the life · Ali · recording, 3:45 · watch on YouTube

Topic: YouTube, writing online and creators (also: Relationships and personal life) · mode: Reflection and life update · tags: Family

In his first vlog, filmed on his medical elective in Cambodia, Ali tells how a Kampot waterfall cost him a bruised rib and his iPhone, then explains why he is starting to vlog: to make his first 50 terrible videos before vlogging junior-doctor life from 1 August 2018, and for fun and a creative outlet even if nobody watches.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — The Kampot waterfall: a bruised rib and a wrecked iPhone

  • ★★ On a weekend in Kampot, Cambodia, after riding scooters up a mountain to a national park waterfall, Ali slipped on a rock in the waterfall and broke or bruised a rib. (hedged) — 00:00:29 · Cambodia
  • ★ Ali took his iPhone's water resistance to mean it was waterproof and swam with it in the waterfall, taking photos, after which it stopped working. — 00:00:29
  • ★ Finding no Apple store in Cambodia, Ali took the iPhone to an authorised Apple service provider, which replaced it free of charge. — 00:00:29 · Cambodia

00:00:58 — Why start a vlog: few UK medic vloggers, junior-doctor vlogs from August 2018, the first 50 terrible videos

  • ★★ Ali says he really enjoys watching vlogs on YouTube and thinks there are very few medical students or doctors vlogging, at least in the UK. — 00:00:58
  • ★★★ Ali wants to vlog his life as a doctor from beginning to end, starting on 1 August 2018, and in the meantime his medical elective and final year at Cambridge. — 00:00:58 · University of Cambridge
  • ★★ Ali repeats the saying that anyone starting on YouTube makes 50 terrible first videos. — 00:00:58
  • ★★★ Ali hopes to make his 50 terrible videos over the next year, so that when junior-doctor life starts on 1 August 2018 he can film decent vlogs, maybe weekly, on being a junior doctor. (hedged) — 00:01:39
  • ★★ Over the previous few weeks in Cambodia, Ali made a few videos giving tips for the BMAT. — 00:01:39 · BMAT (exam), Cambodia

00:02:08 — The BMAT videos and Casey Neistat; fun and a creative outlet even if no one watches

  • ★★ Ali says he has taught people how to do well in the BMAT for the last few years, so made videos about it, and that turned out to be quite fun. — 00:02:08 · BMAT (exam)
  • ★★ Around the same time Ali got into Casey Neistat and other big YouTube vloggers, and says the vlogging community seems really nice and fun. — 00:02:08 · Casey Neistat
  • ★★ Ali expects that, in the worst case, no one will watch his vlogs, which he calls pretty likely; probably just friends will. (hedged) — 00:02:08
  • ★ Ali jokes that his grandma may watch occasionally and he is pretty sure his brother will watch each one. (playful) — 00:02:37 · Taimur Abdaal

  • ★★★ Even if no one watches, Ali says vlogging will be fun and will stretch his creative muscles, a creative outlet through medical school and as a doctor. — 00:02:37

    “It'll kind of stretch my creative muscles, give me a sort of creative outlet”

  • ★★ Ali hopes his vlogs will be nice to look back on in a few years, showing behind the scenes what it was like to be a medical student and a junior doctor. (hedged) — 00:02:37

  • ★★ Ali finds starting a vlog pretty scary and says it needs an attitude of not giving a toss about what other people think. — 00:03:06

In the description and comments

  • ★ Ali Abdaal (channel): The first vlog's video and audio were recorded on an iPhone 7 Plus, with a Sony A6000 used for stills and the sunset video. — video description · Sony A6000

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

BMAT (exam) · Cambodia · Casey Neistat · Kampot · Taimur Abdaal · University of Cambridge

Only in the description or credits: Sony A6000

Replied to by

← Previous: How to prepare for BMAT Section 2 Chemistry · BMAT Tips series · Next → The Children's Surgical Centre (Cambodia) - Cambridge Medial Elective #02