Ali Abdaal
Ali Abdaal is a former doctor, YouTuber, entrepreneur and author who shares practical ways to learn, work and build a life you enjoy.
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Ali’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus their backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Book
YouTube
YouTubeOverview
- Born
- 1994, Karachi, Pakistan
- Studies
- Medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
- Started YouTube
- 2017, while at medical school
- Breakout milestones
- 100,000 subscribers in 2018; one million in 2020
Mini bio
How it started.
Ali grew up in Lesotho before moving to the UK in 2003. While studying medicine at Cambridge, he built a business helping students get into medical school. In 2017, he began making YouTube videos to support it, then found he enjoyed sharing study tips and student life.
From wards to videos.
After graduating in 2018, he worked as an NHS junior doctor and made videos around his shifts. He took a break from medicine in August 2020, then committed to creating full time in 2021.
Finding joy in the work.
His first book, Feel-Good Productivity, arrived in 2023 and became a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. It explores how finding enjoyment and meaning in work can help people get more done. His projects now include educational courses and productivity apps.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2023Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to YouAuthor and audiobook narrator
Videos
- 2023How to Study for Exams (Evidence-Based Masterclass)Creator and presenter
- 2017Why I’m starting a Vlog - Cambridge Medical Elective #01Creator and presenter
Awards
Quotes
Resistance isn’t a sign that we’re doing the wrong thing. It’s actually a sign that we’re on the right track.Ali Abdaal, LifeNotes
From “My Encounters with Resistance”, 28 February 2025: https://aliabdaal.com/newsletter/my-encounters-with-resistance/
Trivia
- At 12, he learned to code and earned money designing websites to fund playing World of Warcraft.
- His publisher’s biography lists amateur magic among his interests.
- In March 2025, he wrote that he was playing a Paladin tank in World of Warcraft.
Find Ali
Find Ali’s videos, notes and updates on his official channels.
Are you Ali Abdaal?
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