Joel Smith, MD

	Joined Jul, 2005 Department: Medical Imaging Title: Physician Degree: MD Interests: I enjoy a (large) cup of tea and a good book. If the Red Sox or Celtics are on in the background, so much the better. Physician Homepage
Bio I was born New England, the middle child of three, with two sisters. I attended Gordon College in Massachusetts, where I met my wife, Cindy, and developed an interest in music and literature. I began my college career with a major in mathematics but quickly joined Cindy in the study of biology, which we both enjoyed a great deal. Since our relationship survived many hours of toiling over beakers as laboratory partners, we knew that it could survive anything and we were married shortly after graduation. We then moved to Philadelphia, where I worked in a University of Pennsylvania research lab. After two years in the lab, I began my medical studies at Hahnemann University, where I received my MD in 1999. Although I have always had an interest in pediatrics, during the course of my medical training my interests broadened to include many fields of medicine. My broad interests led me to the field of radiology, because it allows me to remain knowledgeable and involved in many areas of medicine. Cindy and I returned to New England for my diagnostic radiology residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center. I retained a special interest in pediatrics, and following residency, I completed a fellowship in pediatric radiology at Children's Hospital, Boston. After completing my fellowship in 2005, I joined Kaiser Permanente.
My Medical Specialty
More details about my specialty: I enjoy the challenges of radiology, which are only increasing with advances in imaging technology. It is exciting to provide greater specificity in diagnoses as MRI, CT, nuclear medicine and ultrasound equipment improves. My specialty interests and affiliations within my field: After residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center, I completed a fellowship in pediatric radiology at Children's Hospital, Boston. Performing radiologic studies on children provides special challenges, both in establishing trust and cooperation, and in limiting radiation dose. However, this makes providing important clinical information even more rewarding. In addition to performing and interpreting imaging studies specific to the pediatric age group, I also act as the MRI subchief at Santa Rosa Great health resources that I refer to: http://www.pediatricradiology.com/ http://www.pedrad.org/	Photos from My Training Years or of Practicing Medicine in My Field: New England Medical Center Tufts - Diagnostic Radiology, class of 2004 Boston Children's Hospital
Interests
Growing up, I had no experience with horses. My wife, Cindy, quickly changed that. She introduced me to riding, training, and eventually, raising, horses. We foaled two horses at our small farm in New Hampshire and the horses quickly became an important part of the family. We trailered our second foal, Zeki, and his mother all the way from New Hampshire to our new home in Santa Rosa. Our third foal, Charisma, was born here in Santa Rosa. Although raising a young horse is quite a challenge, Zeki and Charisma's sweet temperament and great personality have made it a fun and rewarding experience. My favorite book or author: I enjoy reading short stories. My favorite short story author is Anton Chekhov, a Russian physician and playwright.	Hobby Photos & Links: ...But spring comes eventually, even in New England Zeki was born on a very cold February morning. Me and Charisma
Family & Friends
People in my life: After staying with me through the lows (Aaron Boone's homerun, Yankees' win in 7 games) and highs (did the Red Sox really just win the World Series...again?) of medical training, my wife, Cindy, is excited to be back in California. She was born and raised here until the age of five, when her father was transferred, first to England and then to Massachusetts. Later, her parents moved back to the Monterey Bay area. Cindy has had a lifelong interest in riding and training horses. Through this interest, she has developed a career in leather work, first in bridle work, and later in developing show leads and training aids for dogs. You can see her work at http://www.smithmorrow.com My children and people I care about: Although Cindy and I love living in Sonoma County, we do miss my family in New England. We especially miss our nieces and nephews: Mattie, Cricket, Noah, Kat and Emily. But we are grateful that even in our absence, my brother-in-law is properly educating my nephew, Mattie. Go Sox!	Photos of my Family & Friends: Cindy and Joel at Fenway Park Mattie at the Red Sox victory parade!
My pets: Our dog, Laska, is a 3-year-old Australian Shepard. She is a wonderful companion and amazing with a frisbee. However, we are hoping that she mellows with age...	Pet Photos: Laska
Travel
One of my recent trips: In July, 2005, Cindy and I drove our two horses from New Hampshire to Santa Rosa. We were nervous about the trip, but found it the most economical and safest way to get them here. So, we bought a horse trailer, some new CDs, a few books on tape and a bag of snacks, and headed out west. I felt like John Wayne in 'Red River,' except that we were pulling the horses and not the reverse...and we had air conditioning. We drove across in a Chevy truck with a single bench seat. In between Cindy and me was Laska, our energetic Australian Shepard. With nothing to herd and no ball to catch, I was worried that she would go stir crazy. In fact, she was great, happy just to lie down between us and listen to music...although, I don't think that she liked the Leon Redbone CD. We had a few setbacks along the way, including an ill-advised reservation to board our horses at a 'ghost town' in Nevada. But, overall, the trip was great. The beauty and variety of the American landscape is amazing.	Trip Photos: Hail storm in Colorado Fixing a flat tire in Utah