Lauren Smith, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained rheumatologist. She sees patients at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Department of Rheumatology. Her areas of special interest and expertise include lupus, myositis, and rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory arthritis.

Dr. Smith’s research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including Current Rheumatology Reports and Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. She has also been a presenter at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology and other professional meetings. Dr. Smith is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Rheumatology, where she is a member of the Collaborative Initiatives Committee, which is focused on outreach to community physicians and bridging the gaps caused by health disparities.

Her philosophy of care is centered on shared decision making with her patients. She takes the time to educate every patient about their condition so they can understand the disease and recommended treatment plan.

Dr. Smith earned her medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. She completed her residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and a fellowship in rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University. As a student, she shared her medical skills as a volunteer for DR Salud, a medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and as a volunteer for Equal Access Clinic in Gainesville, Florida.

When she’s not working, Dr. Smith enjoys exercising and traveling. She’s also a big basketball fan and played the sport competitively throughout high school and college.