Subtitles by Tian Shengjie.

A young pathologist created a music video to show the work of pathologists, as reports from pathologists, who are nicknamed as "doctor's doctor,” can largely influence medical decisions and guide follow-up treatment plans.

Dr Zheng Yuwei with Shanghai Cancer Center’s pathology department, which ranks No. 1 among domestic hospitals, said most patients are not familiar with pathology, because pathologists do not interact directly with patients but are extremely important, especially in cancer hospitals.

“I developed the idea of combining my work and love of music to inform patients about how pathologists work and why the department is so important,” said Zheng. “Some so-called scientific explanations of pathology online are incorrect, which may mislead patients. So I created the song ‘This is Pathology’ to explain to the public what pathology is and why it is important.”

Her idea was supported by colleagues, who helped her shoot the video.

“The song's lyrics explain the detailed work of pathologists, and the video shows our working environment,” she said. “Pathology reports are thought of as the gold standard for diagnoses as the final judgement on whether a tumor is benign or malignant. Pathologists must carefully observe each cell and tissue, which requires patience and endurance. The song and video vividly explain the whole process.”

Compared with other departments, pathology is a lonely and little-known department in a hospital.

“Patients’ great joy after receiving a benign report from us gives me strength and power to continue,” Zheng said.