Shadowing Practice: 8 surprising things I avoid as a doctor in 2025 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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This is a seemingly random list of things
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This is a seemingly random list of things
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that I avoid as a doctor because of all the terrible injuries that I have seen in my medical training.
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And a lot of these are kind of common everyday things that you wouldn't really think twice about,
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but I do because the injuries I've seen from these are unfortunately way too common and it can be brutal and life-changing.
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So jumping right in to number one,
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if I am riding on the passenger side of a car,
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I never put my feet on the dashboard.
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why because if you get into a car accident
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which can happen even with the safest of drivers
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that airbag is going to deploy in about a 20th of
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a second you do not have time to put your feet on the ground
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and
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so what's going to happen is with your feet up your
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knees your legs are going to slam into your face very forcefully and that can cause significant facial trauma traumatic brain injury,
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it can cause leg fractures,
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hip dislocations, a whole host of really,
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really bad things that you do not want.
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So as a general rule,
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I keep my feet on the ground.
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Number two are trampolines.
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You would not believe the magnitude of injuries
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that are seen in emergency rooms across the country each year because of trampoline injuries,
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which can be quite serious,
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including spinal cord injuries and again, traumatic brain injury.
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In fact, there are so many injuries associated with trampolines that the American Academy of Pediatrics has actually taken a stance.
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They recommend that no more than one person jumps on a trampoline at the same time.
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And of course, they recommend against doing the somersaults and flips and stuff like that, obviously.
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For me personally, I take it a step further.
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I just don't mess with trampolines.
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I don't think the benefit outweighs the risk of injury.
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So it's always been a no for me.
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Number three is especially important if you have small children
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but even
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if not i think it's a good general practice i avoid
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using the front burner of my stovetop my range as much as possible
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because what can happen is
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if you have say like a pot of boiling water on
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the front burner that's more likely to get accidentally pulled
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or pushed as you walk by and then of course
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if you have kids if they're just curious
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and trying to grab something they can easily pull that down
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and burn themselves if
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that hot water falls on them there are actually hundreds of thousands of children
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that get treated for burn injuries in emergency rooms across the country each year
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and 75 of serious burns in really young children those under five happen due to hot liquids
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so cooking your food
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or boiling your hot water on the back burner keeps it further away from children
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and reduces this risk number four
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if i don't have a helmet i am not riding a
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bicycle end of story period i've posted about this before on my other platforms
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and it's surprisingly controversial like people have said
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that i'm actually discouraging physical activity
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and exercising people by saying you shouldn't ride a bike unless you have a helmet
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but i'm always going to stand by what i say
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because here's the thing
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if you have the wherewithal to procure a bicycle i think you have the wherewithal to procure a helmet
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and the basic bottom line that that you just have to remember is that there are multiple high quality meta analyses,
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not just single studies, but groups of studies that have been analyzed together
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that show that helmets are associated with a decreased risk of serious head injury.
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End of story period.
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That's all you need to know.
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And number five, again, this is going to seem random,
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but I don't cut avocados if I'm in a hurry.
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Cutting an avocado is actually a surprisingly common way that people injure themselves,
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that they cut themselves while they're in the kitchen.
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And in fact, it's actually been studied.
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Between 1998 and 2017, so two decades,
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there have actually been more than 50,000 avocado-related knife injuries in the United States.
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The vast majority of those are hand injuries.
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And interestingly, about 80% are in women,
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which I can personally attest to.
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I remember being a resident in Manhattan and
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so many times I would come into work
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and see these girls who came in with cuts on their hands saying that they were slicing an avocado.
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They were trying to be healthy,
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make a quick breakfast before work that was really nutritious and they weren't careful enough and they cut themselves.
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So to me that just says I'm not going to mess around with these guys.
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A much better way is actually to use a butter knife.
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You can even use a spoon and push the pit out instead of using a knife to get it out.
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But bottom line, if I only have a knife available,
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I am not going to even attempt this endeavor unless I have a lot of time to do it really carefully.
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Number six,
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I would never ever dive into a body of water unless I absolutely a thousand percent knew how deep that water was.
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Why?
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Because if you dive into a shallow body of water
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that you didn't know was shallow you can significantly injure your head
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and spinal cord in fact diving is the fourth most common
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cause of spinal cord injury in the united states actually that's
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for men it's the fifth most common cause in women
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but still and the other really unfortunate thing about these injuries is
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that they commonly cause paralysis which is obviously something
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that people who suffer from this will be dealing for the rest of their lives number seven would be
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that I do not pet dogs,
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strangers, dogs, dogs that I don't know.
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And I would never ever let my children or any child that I'm around do so.
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Dog attacks are obviously brutal for adults, but especially for children.
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When I was on my pediatric rotation in medical school in the pediatric ICU,
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it felt like there was always at least one kid there who had been attacked by a dog
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and they were in critical condition.
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So I always say dogs need to have their personal space unless you really know that animal and you trust that animal.
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You need to be very cautious because things can go wrong in an instant.
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And lastly, I do not mix alcohol with public bikes or those little e-scooters.
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It is a recipe for disaster.
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Studies do show that a high share of these crashes involve alcohol plus a lot of times
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when people are riding these e-scooters they're not wearing a helmet they are just risking it
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but head injuries can happen i have seen them they can be brutal
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and the risk for having a serious injury goes up significantly
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if you are intoxicated your reaction time is decreased you're just more prone to injury
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so this is just something that i would never do it really makes me scared
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if i'm with a group of people and they want to ride a scooter
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or one of those bikes the public bikes like bike share
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things at night it gives me anxiety anyway that's all i got for you today hope this helps somewhat
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if you want more videos like these let me know in the comments i have
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so many more videos like these
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that i could make i'm also thinking of making one about things
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that i won't do in terms of taking medication so
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if that's of interest let me know
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and of course follow along you are more than welcome on my corner of the internet
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if you like this type of content and I'll see you in the next video
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Context & Background
This video features a doctor's candid discussion about everyday practices he avoids to ensure safety based on his medical training and experience. As a medical professional, he has witnessed the severe consequences of seemingly harmless activities, motivating him to avoid specific behaviors that could lead to injuries. His insights are valuable not only for understanding medical concerns but also for enhancing English language learning through authentic dialogue. By studying his examples, learners can effectively improve their speaking skills and engage in real-world discussions.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
Here are five useful phrases extracted from the transcript that highlight safety practices:
- "I never put my feet on the dashboard." - A clear statement emphasizing the importance of safety in a vehicle.
- "I just don't mess with trampolines." - A straightforward declaration of avoiding unnecessary risks.
- "I avoid using the front burner of my stovetop." - A practical advice exemplifying caution in cooking.
- "If I don't have a helmet, I am not riding a bicycle." - A definitive stance on personal safety.
- "The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends..." - Reference to authoritative advice, which can enhance credibility in discussions.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize this video for improving your English speaking skills, follow these steps:
- Watch the Video: Begin by viewing the video without any subtitles. Focus on the speaker's pronunciation, tone, and rhythm.
- First Listen, Then Speak: Rewind sections, especially where he mentions safety practices. Listen carefully, then repeat immediately after him to mimic his intonation and pacing. This shadow speech technique will build your confidence and fluency.
- Break it Down: Choose specific phrases from the ‘Top 5’ section. Practice saying them in different contexts. For instance, create your sentences about your safety practices using the phrases as guides.
- Record Yourself: Use your phone or a recording device to capture your speech. Play it back to identify areas for improvement. Compare your pronunciation and delivery with the original speaker to enhance your learning.
- Engage with Others: If possible, find a study partner to practice these phrases. Engaging in conversation will help reinforce your shadow speak skills and prepare you for real-life scenarios, such as IELTS speaking practice.
By integrating this practical approach into your routine, you’ll learn English with YouTube in a dynamic and effective way while developing your ability to discuss important topics like safety.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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