Dr. Preston Smith

Dr. Preston Smith is thrilled to be back on the Island. Preston, his wife Jane, and their two dogs, Murphy and Lincoln, made the move from Saskatoon to Stanhope. A highly regarded medical educator and administrator, he completed his medical education at Dalhousie University and is a Certificant and Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In 2010, he completed a Master of Education from Mount Saint Vincent University focused on medical education.

What drew Dr Smith to this opportunity was his passion for what medical education and research can do in every community it touches. He believes Prince Edward Island’s vision to build a medical education program to help meet the needs of Islanders from tip to tip is ambitious, compelling, and exciting. Dr. Smith’s career has been marked by his dedication to developing medical education programs. He spent 25 years as a family physician in Moncton, during which he served as VP of Medicine in New Brunswick, overseeing the transition from the province’s 52 hospitals to eight regions. This experience provided him with significant expertise in health system reform and administration. He also held the position of Senior Associate Dean of Education within the Faculty of Medicine at DAL, where he played a key role in developing and overseeing the Dalhousie medical education program launched in Saint John.

He was instrumental in starting new family medicine residency programs in PEI, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. His most recent role as Dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan saw his team lead a significant restructuring of the College of Medicine. The opportunity to be part of building something new and unique in Prince Edward Island while partnering with Memorial University’s award-winning medical school is an opportunity he is eagerly anticipating.

Dr. Smith is acutely aware of the importance of engaging existing physicians and attracting more to the Island for the success of PEI’s medical school and the healthcare system’s future. He eagerly looks forward to collaborating with the physician community, Health PEI, the university community, and others to bring this vision to life. His commitment to this endeavour is unwavering, and he is dedicated to ensuring the success of the medical school and the betterment of healthcare in Prince Edward Island.