Ruoxi Chen
Datong High School, Shanghai, China
Theory
in Action
From Clinical Insight
to Public Health Communication
During my journey in public health, I have undergone two parallel paths which later converge, one being initiated from my clinical internship in the ZEISS Medical Department where I witnessed the microscopic precision of health through medical technology. And the other took its expedition to the science communication front of the People’s Daily Health Channel where I experienced the functionality of carrying health through maximal social spectrum.
These two distinct, in-depth practices jointly forged my three-dimensional understanding of modern public health from two very different dimensions.
My experience interning at the ZEISS Medical Department was my first real encounter with the “depth” of health. I kept a systematic record of the entire cataract treatment pathway—from diagnosis to surgery—and further explored the technological principles behind advanced imaging devices and ophthalmic equipment. This experience made me realize that the precision and elegance of technology itself are essential to curing individual diseases and restoring quality of life.
During this process, I also developed patient education materials and noticed the confusion many patients felt when faced with complex treatment options. It became clear to me that technology is only truly effective when users understand and trust it. In fact, my internship gave me a deeper understanding of the critical role technological capability plays in advancing public health. ZEISS integrates its strengths in optical engineering with ongoing developments in digitalisation and information technology, continuously driving innovation in precision diagnostics in the era of intelligent healthcare. This showed me that science and technology are not only the foundation of medical systems, but also a vital force in improving health outcomes and reducing disparities.
With all these thoughts on the relationship between technology and people, I set off to another front, this time in thyroid and breast health. As a co-producer of educational videos for the People’s Daily Health Channel, my father and I produced the entire video production, from topic selection and drafting to filming and post-production editing.
My primary role was to be a “translator”, converting dense medical papers and clinical guidelines into engaging videos that hit an emotional chord, with lots of visual appeal. When the video series crossed over 66k likes with thousands of genuine comments and 11k fans, I realized that accurate and effective health communication is in itself a broad-spectrum ‘social vaccine’ agent. It prevents panic, it dispels myths and it strengthens the all-important trust between the doctor and the public.
Looking back, these two journeys are now interconnected. My stay in ZEISS Medical Department gave me strong technological insight, i.e. understanding of professionals and their expertise on how to resolve health problems. Through my health communication practice, I have developed a powerful “communication creativity”, which has equipped me with the essential skills to empower the public and influence the society. I truly believe that future public health leaders will have to master both the “hard power” of science and technology and the “soft power” of communication and empathy. I am determined to be a builder who puts these dual purposes to work for a health future that is efficient, equitable, and compassionate.