Dr. Smith received his medical degree from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans in 1986. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida, between 1986 and 1989. He completed a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Wake Forest University/Bowman Gray School of Medicine in 1992. Dr. Smith is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.

After 10 years of private practice Dr. Smith joined the faculty of the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University, where he served as Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology for two years. Dr. Smith joined the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Cool Springs in 2009.