Dr. Preston Smith has been appointed inaugural dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Prince Edward Island for a five-year term, effective April 1, 2024. Originally from Summerside, PEI, Dr. Smith returns to Atlantic Canada, bringing a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to advancing medical education and research to benefit Prince Edward Island communities.

Dr. Preston Smith has been dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) since 2014. He has led the college’s extensive restructuring to improve all facets of medical education, increase research capacity, and prioritize Indigenous health, learner wellness, and faculty and staff engagement. Dr. Smith is an experienced change management leader committed to equity and diversity in the workplace. While at USask, he was instrumental in commissioning an independent review to help the College of Medicine better address issues of systemic inequity, which helped inform the college’s increased efforts to change and improve as an equitable, diverse, and inclusive medical school.

Prior to the University of Saskatchewan, he was the Senior Associate Dean of Education in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University. He played a key leadership role in developing and overseeing the new Dalhousie medical education program, launched in New Brunswick in 2010, which included his critical relationship-building role with New Brunswick partners. He has been instrumental in starting new family medicine residency programs in PEI, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

A highly regarded medical educator and administrator, he completed his medical education at Dalhousie University and is a certificant and fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In 2010, he completed a Master of Education from Mount Saint Vincent University focused on medical education.