Staff Spotlight
Championing excellence in anesthesiology
Driven by his passion for medicine and surgery, Dr. Victor Tran pursued a career in anesthesiology and now serves as an anesthesiologist at Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia (UBC) Hospital, as well as the Co-Medical Director at the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic.
As perioperative medical experts, anesthesiologists use their skillsets to ensure patients receive compassionate care throughout their hospital experience.
Victor’s journey to becoming an anesthesiologist
Victor began his journey in his hometown of Winnipeg, where he graduated from medical school. He then headed to Edmonton, completing his residency at the University of Alberta Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine program, before returning to Winnipeg to complete his fellowship in Perioperative Medicine.
Armed with extensive education and training, Victor worked at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton where he specialized in thoracic, hepatobiliary, spine, ENT, and high-risk obstetric anesthesia at a tertiary care trauma centre. One of his proudest achievements was serving as the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic (PAC) Medical Director, where he led a successful redesign of the clinic, streamlining preoperative investigations and PAC referrals which reduced preoperative investigations by 30% and earned the hospital a Level 2 certification from Choosing Wisely Canada.
Victor has now been working at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) for nearly three years. His favourite parts of his job include providing patient care in a team-based environment, interacting with trainees, and his role as Co-Medical Director of the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic. This position allows him to address daily issues while advancing the clinic into the next era of perioperative medicine through prehabilitation and optimization. He is also an active member of the Perioperative, Major Abdominal Oncology and Trauma Anesthesia subgroups.
A culture rooted in teamwork, continuous learning and advancement
“Some might believe that practicing anesthesiology can be lonely or isolating, but I couldn’t disagree more,” Victor shares. With over 80 members, the Vancouver Acute Department of Anesthesiology (VADA) is one of the largest anesthesia departments in Canada. “Our team is united by shared values and a common vision. We collaborate with world-class surgeons, medical specialists, nurses, nursing unit assistants, clerks, and hospital leadership, all of whom are collegial and passionate about patient care.” He further explains that inclusivity, professional and respect act as the foundation of their successful team environment.
When handling tough cases or heavy administrative workload, Victor collaborates with his teammates for second opinions or task-sharing to help prevent burnout. VADA supports wellness with scheduled breaks, a day call roster of seven anesthesiologists to complete cases past 5 p.m., and social events throughout the year to connect outside the hospital. “Our priority is to care for patients, but we recognize that looking after ourselves is equally important for everyone’s benefit,” says Victor.
VADA also hosts regular grand rounds featuring a variety of speakers and conducts workshops and educational seminars on new equipment. Committed to continuous learning, Victor takes a personal development course annually. He applied his training from the Advanced Physician Quality Improvement program to his own quality improvement project, Decreased Repeated Investigations in the Preoperative Patient.
“At the end of the day, I don’t believe there is a perfect workplace, but VCH and VADA come very close,” Victor says. “I feel that my work is valued and that my workplace appreciates me as a physician and my contributions. What more could you ask for?”
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