Dr. Deborah Smith, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University. She received her medical education from the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society and awarded an Albert Knapp scholarship for highest academic performance in her medical school class. She completed a dedicated intramural research fellowship at the National Cancer Institute within the National Institutes of Health before pursuing a career in clinical medicine. While in medical school, she was awarded a funded Dean’s Research Fellowship and received her Masters of Biomedical Sciences degree from Columbia University.
Dr. Smith completed both her internship and residency training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. She previously served as chief resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College before joining RWJBarnabas Health. She has extensive clinical experience across contemporary radiation treatment techniques and methodologies, has published widely in leading academic journals and maintains active professional membership within the American Society of Radiation Oncology and the American Brachytherapy Society.
Philosophy of Care:
My decision to pursue a career in oncology stemmed from a profound appreciation for the privileged opportunity to help accompany, guide and advocate for patients navigating the multidimensional physical, emotional, psychosocial and spiritual challenges and inherent uncertainties that often accompany a cancer diagnosis, and I deeply respect the significance of that responsibility. I am exceptionally committed to providing each patient with the highest quality of comprehensive evidence-based and personalized cancer care through thoughtful attention to detail, effective multidisciplinary collaboration, open communication and a central emphasis on shared decisionmaking, incorporating the individualized priorities, goals and values of each patient in the context of their broader life and overall health. I prioritize patient education as a core foundation of my clinical practice and hope to foster a supportive environment where each patient feels thoroughly heard, respected and informed about their diagnosis and recommended treatment plan as an equal partner in their care.
