Sandra Oh channels Cristina Yang as she becomes a ‘doctor for real’ at Dartmouth and tells grads to dance it out

She once played one of TV’s most beloved doctors, and now she’s one in real life—or sort of. Sandra Oh, known to millions as Dr Cristina Yang from Grey’s Anatomy, was awarded an honorary doctorate of arts by Dartmouth College over the weekend. In true Cristina fashion, she got the entire graduating class of 2025 to stand up and “dance it out” to David Guetta’s Titanium.

Oh, who’s also known for her BAFTA-winning role in Killing Eve, was the keynote speaker at the Ivy League college’s commencement ceremony on 15 June. Channelling her iconic character, she told graduates, “When the world gets hard, or when it’s good, especially when it’s good, like today, always take the time to dance it out.” The phrase is a nod to a beloved ritual between Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey in the long-running medical drama.

Fans moved by Cristina Yang throwback and Oh’s emotional message

As music filled the air and thousands, including students, families, and faculty, joined in dancing, fans online were quick to celebrate the full-circle moment. “Congrats Dr Yang, oh I mean, Dr Oh!” wrote one user. Another joked, “Ironically the college Dr Meredith went to.” Some couldn’t hold back tears: “The ‘dancing it out’ picture got us all,” one wrote.

But Oh’s speech wasn’t just nostalgic fan service. The Canadian-born actor spoke candidly about learning to sit with discomfort, something she said Grey’s Anatomy helped teach her. “Nothing has taught me more than being with discomfort. It can be our greatest learning opportunity,” she said, encouraging graduates to build inner strength by facing tough moments rather than avoiding them.

Oh’s message: kindness isn’t naïve, it’s radical

She urged the crowd to practise a deeper kind of kindness: not about being “nice,” but about holding pain without shutting down. “So, we can go on living, go on resisting, go on healing,” she said. For 30 seconds, the entire quad sat in total silence at her request, embracing quiet introspection. Then came the dancing: symbolic and unforgettable.

Oh wrapped her speech with one last piece of advice: remember this joy and give it to others. “It is possible to move discomfort into joy,” she said. “Carry it, care for it, and pass it on.”

A doctor on screen and now off it, Sandra Oh gave a graduation day to remember, equal parts pep talk, life lesson, and Grey’s tribute.