Cecilia M. Smith, DO, is associate dean, Tower Health Regional Campus, and professor and interim academic chair of the Department of Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. Trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine, Dr. Smith is the chair of the Department of Medicine at Reading Hospital, Tower Health.
A graduate of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, she completed her residency in internal medicine at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. She completed her pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Upon completion, she joined the faculty of the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine where she advanced to professor of medicine. Her primary area of specialty was interstitial lung diseases and lung transplantation, including serving in the role of the medical director of the Lung Transplant program; she was an invited speaker on these topics. Dr. Smith became the medical director of UCSD Medical Center, and associate dean for medical center affairs (graduate medical education), supporting medical education programs including approximately 600 trainees in all specialties of graduate medical education.
Dr. Smith was recruited to Reading Hospital as chair of the Department of Medicine in 2004 from UCSD. In this capacity she has strengthened and expanded clinical programs, developed a Center for Research — initially embedded in the Department of Medicine, and now expanded to an institutional program — and developed or expanded residency and fellowship programs within internal medicine and its subspecialties. She held clinical professor of medicine positions at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University Medical College prior to becoming the interim academic chair of medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Dr. Smith served on numerous faculty, medical center, health system, and School of Medicine committees and initiatives for the University of California. Since joining Reading Hospital, she serves on administrative and medical staff committees, including the board of directors of Reading Hospital, Tower Health. She has served on faculty committees within the department and organizationally. Dr Smith served on local, state and national pulmonary professional society committees and as a reviewer for professional journals over her professional career.
Dr. Smith’s professional interest continues to be focused on all levels of medical education: undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education as well as faculty development and mentorship programs. She has provided bedside to didactic clinical teaching, including mentoring researchers, clinical medical educators and trainees. She has spearheaded professional development initiatives. She is proud to serve as a personal mentor to many physicians within and outside her department.