About
Dr. Sarah Smith is a double board-certified endocrinologist and East Tennessee native who grew up in Knoxville and graduated from Christian Academy of Knoxville. She completed her undergraduate studies at Samford University in Birmingham, where she majored in Sports Medicine and minored in Chemistry. There she earned an ISSA Personal Trainer certification and first learned body composition analysis and meal replacement nutrition, skills she still applies clinically today.
Dr. Smith earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where she participated in community health outreach and helped launch a philanthropic medical clinic. She completed a three-year Internal Medicine residency at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, then pursued fellowship training in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Her fellowship deepened her expertise in lifestyle medicine and metabolic disease under nationally recognized specialists. She holds dual board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine in both Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. She served as the founding physician for the Endocrinology section at Blount Memorial and has cared for patients across greater East Tennessee since 2015. Since 2016, she has served as a clinical professor at Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Medicine, where students honored her with the DeBusk College Faculty Award in 2021. Named a Top Endocrinologist and Diabetes and Metabolism Specialist for 2022 and one of America's Top Docs that same year, Dr. Smith brings a deeply personal approach to complex hormonal care. She is passionate about thyroid disorders, diabetes reversal, PCOS, female hormone health, and metabolic optimization. Outside the clinic, she is a wife and mother of three who enjoys gardening, hiking, biking, and recipe development rooted in her lifelong interest in nutrition and exercise.
Education & Training
Undergraduate
Samford University, Birmingham, AL — Major: Sports Medicine, Minor: Chemistry
Medical School
University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY
Residency
Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, Lexington, KY
Fellowship
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC
Additional Training
Clinical Professor, LMU DeBusk College of Medicine (since 2016); ISSA Personal Trainer certification
Certifications
Conditions Treated
Who is Dr. Smith right for?
Dr. Smith is a strong fit for adults managing complex hormonal or metabolic conditions, including thyroid disorders, diabetes, PCOS, and adrenal or pituitary dysfunction. Patients who have felt dismissed by labs falling within range but still feel unwell will find her root-cause investigative approach valuable. Women navigating perimenopause, menopause, infertility, or postpartum hormonal changes benefit from her deep expertise in female hormone health. She also serves patients working toward meaningful weight loss or diabetes reversal through lifestyle-based, evidence-driven protocols.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Smith treats a broad range of endocrine and metabolic conditions. These include thyroid disorders, type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, PCOS, menopause, perimenopause, osteoporosis, pituitary dysfunction, adrenal disorders, obesity, high cholesterol, fatty liver, infertility, and post-bariatric surgery complications. She also manages gestational diabetes history and metabolic bone disorders.
Yes. Dr. Smith holds dual board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine in both Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. She also holds an ISSA Personal Trainer certification, which informs her approach to body composition and metabolic health.
Dr. Smith earned her medical degree at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center and her Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism fellowship at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Dr. Smith uses all available thyroid hormone preparations, including standard, specialty, natural, and compounded options. She works with each patient to achieve both safety and efficacy, recognizing that lab values within normal range do not always mean a patient feels well. She individualizes every thyroid treatment plan based on symptoms, labs, and patient goals.
Yes. Diabetes reversal and metabolic disease management are central to Dr. Smith's clinical focus. She evaluates personal pancreatic function through specialized labs, develops individualized treatment plans, and uses tools including the OPTIFAST prescription meal replacement program and real-time glucose monitoring through CARIUM. Tennessee Direct Endocrinology serves as East Tennessee's only Lifestyle Management Center for Diabetes and metabolic disease.
Yes. Dr. Smith takes a personalized, evidence-based approach to weight management focused on changing body composition and restoring metabolic function. She offers the OPTIFAST prescription program and uses InBody advanced body composition analysis. Her Sports Medicine background and ISSA certification directly shape how she integrates nutrition, exercise, and clinical care.
Yes. Dr. Smith safely manages endocrine care for postpartum and breastfeeding patients. She takes each patient's specific situation into account when making treatment and supplement decisions during this period.
Yes. In 2022, Dr. Smith was named a Top Endocrinologist and Diabetes and Metabolism Specialist and recognized among America's Top Docs. Her students at Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Medicine also honored her with the DeBusk College Faculty Award in 2021, voted on by the student body.
Dr. Smith approaches medicine as an investigative partnership with her patients. She looks beyond lab numbers to identify root causes of symptoms and believes true healing addresses the body, mind, and spirit together. She draws on lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and personalized hormone strategies to build long-term plans tailored to each person.
Doctor profile last updated August 17, 2026