Meet the Class of 2026 Valedictorian, Dr. Calvin Diep
Student Stories
Congratulations to Dr. Calvin Diep, who has been named valedictorian of the Anesthesia Class of 2026 and awarded the Thomas Donald Hammell Memorial Award. As he prepares for the next chapter, Calvin took the time to speak with us about his journey, share advice for incoming trainees, and reflect on what’s ahead.
How did it feel to be recognized by your peers in this way?
It’s such a tremendous honour to be recognized by this incredible group of colleagues and friends. I’ve had the privilege of knowing many of them since medical school so reaching this milestone together all these years later makes it especially meaningful. The last 18 months while we were studying for the Royal College exams were particularly tough, but our cohort did an amazing job of supporting each other, checking in on one another, and celebrating all the small wins along the way. I’m proud to be a member of this very special 2026 graduating class.
What inspired you to pursue a career in anesthesia?
Funnily enough, early on in medical school I had dismissed any thoughts of pursuing this specialty until a friend encouraged me to actually talk to and shadow an anesthesiologist. I’m glad I listened! I realized that I enjoyed the acute care side of medicine and found it refreshing that every day in anesthesia could look different in terms of the types of patients, surgeries, teams, and environments I would encounter.
After that, I was very lucky to have found clinical mentors as well as research supervisors in anesthesia that supported me in my career exploration. I learned that I was passionate about clinical research, which eventually led to the certainty that I wanted to pursue a career as a clinician-scientist. Looking back, I’m so grateful to all the people over the years who encouraged me to stay open-minded and explore something new.
What do you hope to bring from your residency into your next chapter?
Residency was filled with many joys and challenges that shaped me not only professionally, but also personally and emotionally. One thing I hope I never lose is the perspective of what it felt like to be a resident.
As I transition into practice and begin supervising residents of my own soon enough, I hope those experiences will help me be the kind of teacher and mentor who can create a supportive learning environment, encourages curiosity, and helps trainees build confidence and clinical judgment.
What message or advice could you share with the incoming cohort?
Trust the process.
The learning curve is very steep when you first start but you’re not expected to know everything right away. To paraphrase a well-known quote: we greatly overestimate what we can achieve in one year and underestimate what we can achieve in five years.
Early on, focus on building good habits: read around your patients and cases, be organized in setting up the OR, recognize your limitations and ask for help often, learn how to be a good communicator and team player, and regularly seek constructive feedback from your senior residents, fellows, and staff. Show up every day and do this over and over and over again and your clinical skills and judgment will gradually be honed. Once in a while, take a moment to look back and you’ll see how far you’ve come.
Finally, remember that residency is a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and make time to enjoy your relationships and interests that exist outside the hospital walls.
