Michael C. Smith, MD

Dr. Smith joined the LifeFlight medical director team in the Spring of 2022. He provides medical direction and training to all of LifeFlight's crews that may encounter trauma. 

Dr. Smith brings with him a unique perspective as a trauma surgeon, having EMS experience before he completed his residency. 

He is board certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Surgery. His clinical areas of expertise include trauma, emergency general surgery, surgical critical care, and hernias.

Research
Dr. Smith’s research interests include outcomes in trauma and emergency general surgery and the development and optimization of trauma systems. His recent publications include Temporal Factors Drive Motorcycle Collision-Related Trauma, American Surgeon; Can the Laparoscopic Approach Be Employed in Octogenarians? Journal of Surgical Research; and Identifying Temporal Patterns in Trauma Admissions: Informing Resource Allocation, PLoS One. 

Memberships and Honors
Dr. Smith received the award for outstanding resident from the Department of Surgery from the State University of New York Downstate, the Thomas W. Pollock Award from the State University of New York Downstate, and the Fellow Teaching Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Smith is a member of the American Board of Surgery, the American Board of Surgery, the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and the American College of Surgeons

Education
Dr. Smith received his Bachelor of Science in biology from Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. He earned his MD degree from New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, and completed his internship and residency at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center/Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY. He received a fellowship from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.