Dr. Preston Smith, MD

Dr. Preston Smith is an orthopedic surgeon who strives to be approachable, relaxed and down-to-earth with his patients.

"I treat patients as family and friends," he said. "I present both nonsurgical and surgical treatments with expected outcomes, and never push patients into surgery unless it is truly the best option. I present as much information as I can to help them make educated decisions."

Helping several family members navigate the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic increased Dr. Smith's appreciation for providers who are accessible and take time to communicate. That experience shined a light on how different the health care experience is for patients and families than it is for physicians.

"As physicians, we forget that what is mundane and routine in our day-today is often new and scary for patients and families," he said. "I take this understanding with me when I approach my patients, and try to never lose sight of how different these experiences are for them than …they are for me."

Dr. Smith has been interested in science, especially biology and health, from a young age, leading him to a career in medicine. Having grown up building and fixing things, orthopedic surgery appealed to him as a specialty. "Being able to get people back to activities they love and restoring their quality of life is very rewarding," he said.

Dr. Smith grew up in southeast Arizona. He attended Brigham Young University to earn his Bachelor of Science in zoology with an emphasis in human biology and graduated summa cum laude. He then went on to earn his medical degree from The Ohio State University.