Dr. Chris Smith  appointed head of Department of Medicine

News & Announcements | 12 Apr 2023

On the recommendation of Dean Jane Philpott, Teri Shearer, Interim Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s University, has appointed Dr. Chris Smith as head of the Department of Medicine (DOM). His appointment begins July 1, 2023, and is effective until June 30, 2028.

Dean Philpott extends her sincere gratitude to Dr. Stephen Archer for his leadership as department head. Dr. Archer guided the department through curriculum changes, the implementation of the faculty’s new strategic plan, the development of new EDIIA initiatives, and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Smith earned his B.Sc. Psychology and Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) from University College London. He completed postgraduate clinical training in the UK and at the University of Illinois in Chicago – a city in which he also spent 10 years as an attending physician at Cook County Hospital.

In 2008, he joined Queen’s as an associate professor and Program Director, Core Internal Medicine, in the Department of Medicine (serving until 2015). He has served as Division Head, General Internal Medicine (GIM) since 2013, deputy head of the DOM since 2020, and was named a professor in 2021.

Dr. Smith brings a wealth of leadership experience to his role. Beyond his administrative positions within the DOM, he has served as Co-Medical Program Director at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) since 2020. His clinical work at KHSC is focused on the inpatient units, the GIM consult service and GIM ambulatory clinics. He led DOM collaborations with KHSC’s Emergency and Critical Care Departments to prepare the hospital’s COVID-19 response, and helped coordinate the DOM’s response and staffing for a new COVID-19 unit.

Dr. Smith’s research interests include medical education and competency-based medical education. Recent honours and awards from Queen’s include a DOM Distinguished Service Award in 2022, the DOM Faculty Teaching Award in 2021, a COVID-19 Outstanding Service Award in 2000, and a CPSO Council Award in 2022. He is also a fellow in both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and American College of Physicians.

Please join Dean Philpott in congratulating Dr. Smith on his appointment.

Dr. Chris Smith  appointed head of Department of Medicine

Related topics

Explore Our Stories