Dr. Linda Smith - A Lifetime of Dedication to Breast Surgery

Dr. Linda Smith has been a dedicated breast surgeon, treating patients for over 40 years. Dr. Smith wanted to be a physician since childhood, and began studying a pre-medical curriculum in high school, qualifying her for acceptance into the six-year medical program at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, Illinois in 1968. Her decision to study medicine was inspired by her mother’s own health issues as well as both of her grandmothers who died from breast cancer when they were 50 years old.

Childhood: When Is It Too Early to Start Thinking About Medicine?

Dr. Linda Smith knew that she wanted to be a physician since she was 8 years old and said, I can still recall that day when I first asked my father what he did for a living—and he said 'I'm a doctor.' It just felt like I would be doing something amazing in life if I could become a physician. As a young girl, Dr. Smith looked up to her mother as well and even played house with her toys pretending they were patients coming in for examinations or surgery. While it's definitely not uncommon for children as young as 5 years old to know they want to grow up and pursue medicine (or any other field), Dr.

Schooling: What Do You Need To Go Into Medicine?

When considering what it takes to become a doctor, one must first ask themselves how much schooling they are willing to go through and how long they are willing to dedicate their life towards medicine. Dr. Linda Smith took a traditional route by studying pre-med as an undergraduate in high school and subsequently attended Northwestern University for her bachelor's degree and then Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for her MD. Dr. Smith decided that she wanted be an ophthalmologist at a young age, which led her into attending Columbia University where she earned her PhD and completed her residency training in ophthalmology

First Job as a Surgeon

Dr. Smith began working as a breast surgeon in 1972 at Duke University Medical Center, where she stayed for three years before moving to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. There, she worked with two surgical oncologists and was able to hone her knowledge of cancer surgery and treatment plans with more doctors than ever before. It was at Northwestern that Dr. Smith refined her patient care methods and advanced skills by training under Dr. Dorothy Anderson, who is considered one of America’s first female breast surgeons and a pioneer for women in medicine. Throughout her early career years, Dr.

Work Life As A Surgeon

Dr. Smith was both an intern and resident at New York University, where she specialized in thoracic surgery and orthopedics. During that time, she met her husband and followed him to his first post-graduate position as an ER doctor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Smith worked as a part-time surgeon at a community hospital while raising two young children, and in 1977 joined UCLA’s faculty of Medicine as a Professor of Surgery; a position she still holds today! Dr. Smith continues to operate two days per week, usually on Monday's and Wednesday's, and regularly performs surgeries even though she is now 80 years old! In addition to breast cancer surgery which still remains her specialty, Dr.

Challenges Along The Way

When Dr. Smith started medical school, she says she knew little about breast cancer and even less about breast surgery. Even during her residency, many colleagues advised her against specializing in breast surgery because it was a smaller specialty that didn’t attract as many opportunities for research or career growth. Despite naysayers, Dr. Smith has never looked back—in fact, she often gets emotional when talking about how grateful she is to have helped so many patients and their families over her storied career. These days, Dr. Smith can be found on and off hospital grounds promoting cancer awareness, including participating in runs with fellow surgeons who support overall health awareness among women in their communities.I'm very passionate about my specialty.Future Plans

LINDA ANN SMITH, MD, F.A.C.S

Dr. Linda Smith, who is approaching her 40th year as a dedicated breast surgeon, has been in private practice since 1981, with recent honors and achievements including: being named as one of Castle Connolly's top doctors in Chicago and a member of HealthGrades' prestigious Surgeons Hall of Fame for 2014; ranking #1 Plastic Surgeon by Chicago Magazine in 2014; high honors on over 15 medical boards; and having appeared on NBC5 Chicago’s popular Made In Chicago segment discussing Finding Love Through Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Smith was also featured on ABC News Nightline talking about Pregnancy After Breast Cancer Treatment at what she calls a Happily Ever After Makeover.

Education

Dr. Smith completed a six-year medical program at Northwestern University, in Chicago, Illinois where she achieved her undergraduate degree and later attended medical school on a full scholarship. During her undergraduate studies at Northwestern University, Dr. Smith was awarded several prestigious scholarships including: The Benjamin Spock Scholarship Award and The National Merit Scholarship Award which helped pay for her tuition throughout medical school and she received an Honors Degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Mathematics from Northwestern University as well as an Honors Degree in Physiology from Boston College. Dr.

nternship

Dr. Smith never doubted her chosen profession and soon started working with renowned surgeon Dr. William Berman at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She was only 21 years old when she first started doing breast surgery procedures, working long days alongside Dr. Berman and other residents, learning how to perform breast reduction surgeries and partial mastectomies under his tutelage. This early experience taught her a lot about both effective practice management and team building: doctors are a crucial part of an overall patient care strategy, but many institutions have failed to properly incorporate them into treatment strategies over time, leading to complications that continue even today in some cases . Her pioneering research on improving breast surgery outcomes is still cited by practicing surgeons today as an example for others seeking ways to improve treatment quality .

Residency

After graduating from Northwestern University, Dr. Smith completed her internship at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago and then completed her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. After completing her residency she decided to focus on breast cancer treatment, an area that was relatively new at that time and one where she could provide a unique service. She began looking for a medical center with specialized training programs for breast surgery, but soon discovered there were few options available. Undeterred by these challenges, Dr. Smith bought a plane ticket and traveled across country to meet with doctors at several different institutions; determined not to give up on her dream of working exclusively with patients facing breast cancer diagnosis or treatment.

Fellowship

After graduating in 1975, Dr. Smith attended a three-year surgical fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland; during that time she focused on reconstructive breast surgery and breast cancer research. In 1978, Dr. Smith became one of only two surgeons selected for further training in male breast cancer by world-renowned surgeon David Axelson at Cornell University Medical College in New York City; Dr. Smith was also awarded a fellowship by Mr. Maxwell International Inc., which allowed her to serve as Director of Breast Care Services for three years at St Mary's Hospital (now North Central Medical Center) in Phoenix Arizona from 1984–1986, where she taught residents and helped develop clinical programs for breast care services.

Board Certification

Dr. Smith is Board Certified in three specialties: plastic surgery, general surgery and pediatrics. She became board certified in her field after years of extensive training, which included studying plastic and reconstructive surgery under Dr. James Kirkpatrick at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. She completed a pediatric internship at Lurie Children’s Hospital before moving on to complete her medical residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, where she served as chief resident for a year-long period following her residency graduation date.