Mr Smith grew up on a farm in country Victoria. He completed his secondary education at Echuca High School and Medical Degree through the University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. He completed a PhD examining functional neurogenesis in adult mammalian seizure models through the University of Melbourne and finished neurosurgical training after working at St Vincent’s Hospital, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Royal Children’s Hospital and the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre.

Paul undertook a neurosurgical fellowship at the Salford Hope Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom in 2008/2009 in skull base surgery with a particular emphasis on surgery for acoustic neuroma, trigeminal neuralgia and complicated meningioma surgery. He now also practices general neurosurgery with special interests in instrumented spine surgery and vascular neurosurgery.

Mr Smith practices at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Fitzroy and has an appointment at St Vincent’s Public Hospital in Melbourne. He also sees patients in Echuca and Balwyn for consultation.