Doctor Talk Show aims to change stereotype

Doctors are not just people with serious expressions and white uniforms but also interesting, funny and lovely.

The nation's first Doctor Talk Show launched a charity performance on Saturday to promote health education in a fun and interesting way.

Shanghai initiated the program, China's first medical staff talk show and competition, in 2021. So far two episodes have been made, with 2.2 billion views on various platforms, said the Shanghai Health Commission.

The commission is pushing public health promotion and introducing various new methods to promote medical and health knowledge.

To encourage more medics' involvement in health promotion, Shanghai is the first city to include medics' health-promotion involvement and performance into its professional evaluation system.

"The talk show aims to change the stereotype image of doctors as being stiff and serious," said Dr Yang Yuanyan from Ruijin Hospital. "They are fun, humorous and versatile."

Dr Lu Yonghong from Jinze Town Neighborhood Health Center said the doctor's talk show promotes health knowledge in a fun and natural way, allowing the public to grasp health skills easily.

The office of Shanghai Health Promotion Commission said the authorities will initiate more meaningful and interesting health education works, and cultivate more young medics to be involved in public health education.