The announcement was made during the 2016 SNMA Annual Medical Education Conference recently held in Austin. According to SNMA, the conference is the largest gathering of underrepresented minority medical students in the nation.

Smith was groomed for his current position as he was a 2014-2015 fellow for the SNMA Future Leadership Project (FLP). The fellowship is designed to recruit and mentor the next generation of SNMA leaders. Members who participate in the program have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, receive mentorship from SNMA leaders and engage in personal growth. The FLP curriculum includes attending lecture series given by physician leaders in medicine, group projects and mentorship by a national officer. Smith, a native of Columbus, MS, is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., as well as an American Medical Student Association Health Equity Scholar. He aspires to be an anesthesiologist.

About SNMA

The SNMA works to increase the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent, and socially conscious physicians. Founded in 1964 by medical students from Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College, the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is the nation’s oldest and largest, independent, student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color.  Organized with chapters across the nation, the SNMA membership includes over 7,000 medical students, pre-medical students and physicians.  SNMA is dedicated to increasing the number of African-American, Latino, and other students of color entering and completing medical school and to assisting in the eradication of racial and ethnic health disparities.  SNMA community service and mentoring programs provide science appreciation, health care education, mentoring, and academic enrichment to elementary, junior high school, high school and college students interested in pursuing health-related careers.

In 2020, 91% of RUSM students passed the initial step of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) on the first attempt. And in 2022-2023, results show yet another strong year for RUSM with a 97% first-time residency attainment rate* thus far. Located on the island of Barbados and with a network of more than 15,000 alumni, RUSM is one of the largest providers of doctors for the U.S. healthcare system. RUSM graduates practice in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico.

*First time residency attainment rate is the percent of students attaining a 2023-24 residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2022-23 who were active applicants in the 2023 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match.