• At A Glance
  • Bio

    Dr. Michael Smith is a Neurosurgeon specializing in the care and surgical management of spinal conditions. He is the Managing Director and the Board of Council Representative for Rothman Orthopedics Greater New York region. He is clinical associate professor of Orthopedics and Neurosurgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Smith has worked as a specialist in spinal neurosurgery in New York City since 2008. He initially started his practice at Montefiore Medical Center as an assistant professor of neurosurgery of Albert Einstein College of Medicine until 2009, and then transitioned to NYU Medical Center as an assistant professor of neurosurgery at NYU School of Medicine until joining Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in New York in 2019.

    Dr. Smith has a stellar educational background, graduating from University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences with a BA in Chemistry with Highest Honors in 1996. He continued on to earn his MD from the UVA School of Medicine in 2000. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He then completed his neurosurgery training in the residency program at the University of Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2007 and his spine surgery fellowship at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, England from 2007 to 2008.

    Throughout his career in New York City, Dr. Smith has developed a close collaboration with his colleagues in orthopedic spine surgery. In addition to operating together with his orthopaedic spine colleagues including managing complex spine problems, he has pursued clinical research with the orthopedic department, contributing to the safety and efficiency of patients with all aspects of spinal problems. The collaboration between Dr. Smith and Orthopaedic Spine surgeons has advanced the combined skill and foundational knowledge of both groups to ensure high quality, technically-advanced evidence-based care for all spinal problems. Dr. Smith is capable of performing numerous routine spine procedures in an ambulatory surgery center where patients are safely discharged home on the same day.

    Dr. Smith works in close collaboration with his non-surgical colleagues to ensure that the best treatment is determined for each individual patient. These include pain management, rehabilitation medicine, neurology, and rheumatology.

    Dr. Smith has been recognized for his clinical and teaching excellence with awards such as NY Super Doctors and the Neurosurgery Residents' Teacher of the Year award.

    Dr. Smith provides care for the wide array of adult spinal conditions including degenerative diseases such as degenerated discs and joints, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis. He has extensive experience with tumor of the spinal column and spinal canal. He also has extensive experience with complex spinal deformity problems, including adult scoliosis, kyphosis, flat-back syndrome, and dropped-head syndrome.