Derek Smart, MD was born and raised in Clovis, CA. He participated in Army ROTC for one year while attending Fresno State University before transferring to the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. Dr. Smart graduated from West Point in May of 2016 with a BS in Life Sciences with honors and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Medical Service Corps.
Following his undergraduate education, he attended medical school at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. In April 2020, he received his medical degree and was commissioned as a Captain in the United States Army Medical Corps. He was then stationed in Gainesville, FL to pursue training in neurosurgery at the University of Florida and is scheduled to complete his training in 2027. His neurosurgical interests include neurocritical care, pediatrics, and skull base surgery. His hobbies include running, cooking, and traveling.