Doctor’s office

The mayor will see you now: How a Haitian-American DO is leading his community

Smith Joseph, DO, PharmD, leverages his position as a leader and physician to inspire the next generation.

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On a Wednesday in North Miami, Florida, two dozen children have gathered for story time at the local library. Reading aloud to them is Smith Joseph, DO, PharmD, an osteopathic internal medicine physician and leader in the local Haitian-American community. But it’s another role that has brought Dr. Joseph to the library: He’s also the mayor of North Miami, a position he’s held since 2014, when he became the first medical doctor in Miami-Dade County to be elected to the post.

Instituting the monthly mayoral library story hour is one of Dr. Joseph’s proudest accomplishments during his time in office. “Some of the kids are older—they don’t need to be read to—but they see me as a role model and leader in the community, and they look up to that,” he explains. In this edited interview, Dr. Joseph discusses his path to osteopathic medicine and how that training has inspired his focus on community leadership.

Road to medicine

Dr. Joseph was a teen when he came with his family to the U.S. from Haiti in the late 1970s. His mother, a widow and mother of six, was the first to make the journey, working until she had enough money to send for each of her children. “Things were not really that rosy when I was a youngster,” Dr. Joseph says. “I always wanted to go to medical school, but being in a new country and a new educational system, it took time for me to navigate the right path.”

By juggling his work as a lab technician with several other jobs, Dr. Joseph was able to complete his associate’s degree, eventually earning a doctorate in pharmacy. In his first job as a pharmacist, an older colleague took Dr. Joseph under his wing and introduced him to a DO friend who taught at what is now the Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) in Fort Lauderdale. In 1998, Dr. Joseph graduated from NSU-COM. Three years later, after completing his residency training, he opened a private practice in North Miami, where he still practices.

Insights from the campaign trail

In 2014, Dr. Joseph entered North Miami’s mayoral race, where he quickly found campaigning to be an eye-opening experience. When voters invited him into their homes, Dr. Joseph noticed poor living conditions such as damage from roof leaks, mildew growing on the walls and lack of working air conditioning.

“If I had not been running for mayor, I wouldn’t have discovered the problems my community members experience. Some are living 200% or 300% below the poverty level, so there’s not enough money to fix their homes,” Dr. Joseph says. Now, when he sees patients with symptoms like coughing or heat exhaustion, he has greater insight into the role their living conditions might play in their illnesses.

Making a difference

For other DOs and osteopathic medical students interested in community leadership, Dr. Joseph has three words of advice: Just do it. “As a DO, you shouldn’t focus just on a patient’s symptoms, because many symptoms can be related to social or environmental problems in the patient’s home or neighborhood,” he says. “The fact that I was so interested in community involvement that I decided to run for mayor has a lot to do with my osteopathic training. You should always aim to make a difference in other people’s lives.”

6 comments

  1. David Pierre, DO, MS

    This was a great read. We need more of our osteopathic physicians actively involved in the communities we serve. Increasing and honing our political awareness and involvement is paramount to improving our patients’ health and championing our beloved osteopathic profession.

  2. Dr Eric Lebbeney-Bandar DO; MSc.

    Thank you for sharing his story. He is definitely going to be an excellent resource to some of us looking to get involve in the Greater Miami community. Thank you Dr Joseph and continue the good work.

  3. Doug Bushell

    I stumbled onto this wonderful inspiring story surfing the net. I graduated Medical school with Dr. Joseph in 1998. He was my anatomy study buddy and wonderful friend. In school he was universally loved and referred to as “the Haitian Sensation”. His rise to Mayor and community leader is no surprise. He has two first names….in school, classmates got mixed up…he would say call me whichever you choose. One of my favorite people I’ve ever known. Cheers to The Haitian Sensation….
    Doug Bushell

  4. David Oliver, D.O.

    This is an inspiring story that renews my strength to press on towards higher goals. Thank you Dr. Joseph for your fine example.

  5. Peter A. Molle. D.O., MBA, FACOOG

    Congratulation to Dr. Joseph on the many accomplishments in his life the greatest of which is your much needed dedication to the community.

  6. Magili Quinn DO

    It is wonderful, especially in such heated times, to read about Dr. Joseph and his caring leadership. He is an osteopath through and through, an inspiration. I would love to know more about him. Loved the comment about “the Haitian sensation”. Thank you for sharing. Magili Quinn DO

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