Before opening his Orange County plastic surgery practice, Dr. Smith trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the prestigious University of California at Los Angeles, well regarded as one of the premiere plastic surgery programs in the country. He trained with many well-respected plastic surgeons in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills including several members of the extreme makeover team.

While a chief resident at UCLA, Dr. Smith was involved in the much-publicized separation of the conjoined Guatemalan twins. The nearly 24-hour long surgery resulted in a successful separation and has been a model for several subsequent separation surgeries. Media coverage of this monumental event was captured on the Today show, Good Morning America, and the front page of the New York and LA Times.