Who is Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy?

Last Modified Mar 6, 2025 14:09 EST
Who is Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy?
Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy. (Source: ABC)


Cristina Yang, portrayed by Sandra Oh, is a main character in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. She holds elite degrees in the medical field such as M.D., P.hD., and F.A.C.S. Throughout the show’s run since its debut on March 27, 2005, Cristina has remained one of the most important characters even after she bid farewell to the show after 10 seasons.


Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama that centers on the personal and professional lives of attendings, residents, and surgical interns at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, which was subsequently renamed the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. A reference to the renowned human anatomy textbook Gray's Anatomy can be found in the title of the episode. The pilot was written by Shonda Rhimes, who also served as executive producer, head writer, and showrunner until her departure in 2015.


Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy


Cristina Yang, a Stanford University alumnus, is introduced as a fellow surgical intern recruited by resident Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), and George O'Malley (T. R. Knight). She is a Korean-American atheistic competitive intern who initially wanted to become a doctor after her biological father was killed in a vehicle accident when she was a child.


Yang was educated in Beverly Hills, California, by her mother and her understanding Jewish stepfather. Yang also suffered from dyslexia. She is a "double doctor" with a B.S. in biochemistry from Smith College, an M.D. from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.


Although her competitive perfectionism, emotional practicality, and logical attitude make her a ruthless "robot," Cristina and Meredith (the main character) click right away on their initial encounter and quickly become best friends and each other's "person," having the same "dark and twisty" outlook on life and sense of humor.


Related: where to watch greys anatomy


Cristina Yang’s Personality


Cristina is exceptionally focused and committed. She always gets pumped about having the chance to scrub in on an operation. She is highly driven and will steal and take patients if it means she may participate in an interesting surgery.


It has been implied several times that Cristina is the intern with the best medical knowledge and possesses extraordinary surgical skills. She finds it difficult to express her emotions, though, and she doesn't like being touched by anyone, including her mother. She also struggles to get along with most people and has bad bedside manners.


Who is Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy?
Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy (Source: ABC)


Despite having experienced a number of stressful circumstances since starting her internship, Cristina prefers practical reasoning and logic to emotional reasoning. Although she views her "edge" as being cold, ruthless, and hardcore, those characteristics have aided her during her internship and produced emotional issues in relationships, often making people call her a "robot."


Cristina can't cope with the emotional loss of losing her loved ones because of the terrible event of witnessing her father's death. She has steadily grown more at ease with sharing her deepest thoughts, even though at first she struggled with the idea of doing so. However, Cristina is still regarded as the intern with the least amount of emotion. Cristina has a sensitive spot for the people she cares about, even if she has an aggressive attitude.


What happened to Cristina Yang?


Sandra Oh quit the show after 10 seasons. Cristina bid farewell to her coworkers, Owen, Derek, and Meredith, whom she has grown to know and love, at the conclusion of Season 10. Cristina and Meredith have beautiful moments together, dancing it out one final time and remembering all the horrors they experienced. Cristina moved to Switzerland, where she now runs a research hospital. Cristina succeeds there as the new proprietor.


FAQs about Cristina Yang

  1. Cristina Yang is the smartest among all the interns introduced in the first season of Grey’s Anatomy. She is highly driven and will steal and take patients if it means she could participate in an interesting surgery. 


After season 10, Cristina Yang, portrayed by Sandra Oh, left Grey's Anatomy, but her character might possibly make a comeback. Sandra Oh was creatively prepared to let go of Cristina and pursue other professional opportunities.

Cristina Yang chose her career over romantic relationships. In season 2, she was engaged to Preston Burke, who decided to leave her at the altar. Many seasons later, she finds her true partner in Dr. Owen Hunt, who she eventually married, but divorced two seasons later. Ultimately, Cristina ends up further advancing in her medical career.

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