Department of
Medical Education

Matthew Smith, MD, MS

Matthew Smith, M.D., M.S.

Board Certification: Neurology, Internal Medicine, Neurocritical Care

Medical School: West Virginia University

Residency: West Virginia University, Ruby Memorial

Fellowship: Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Case Medical Center

Faculty Rank: Associate Professor

Special Clinical/Research Interests: Neurocritical Care, Ethics

Is there a particular population of students (e.g., ethnicity, spiritual, sexual orientation) that you would particularly like to advise?

First generational students

What does a typical day in the life of a Neurointensivist include?

There are two “typical days” for a neurointensivist, an ICU day and other days. The typical ICU day starts early pre-rounding on patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The intensivist then leads a multidisciplinary team rounds that includes: trainees, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, dieticians, respiratory therapists, and nurses. Rounds can be interupted at an time for emergencies or procedures that need to be done. The intensivist guides the team to provide the best care possible for the sickest of neurologically ill patients. After rounds, there is administrative tasks followed by afternoon rounds. The intensivist leaves when the work is done, but remains on call to answer questions and to continue to guide care.

ICU time is usually 24 hours per day for a week or so. The other weeks when the intensivist is not on the ICU service, the intensivist’s role is to continue to improve ICU care through teaching, research, or administrative roles.

What is the biggest challenge of being a Neurointensivist?

The biggest challenge of neurocritical care is that it is impossible to save all the patients with neurological injuries. The intensivist needs to provide compassionate care to the patient and their family which can be very challenging.

How do you foresee Neurocritical Care changing over the next 20 years?

There is so much that is still unknown in neurocritical care. Advances in treatments and monitoring continue to come at an accelerated pace. I am confident that in 20 years, just about everything we “know” now will be wrong or only partially true.

What advice would you give a student who is considering a Neurology residency?

Get exposure to the field of clinical neurology and as many subspecialties as possible. It was not long ago that neurocritical care would not have been considered “typical” for a neurologist. If you fall in love with the work, you will find a path that works for you. There is so much growth and change withing neurology that there is still a lot of ways to forge your own path.