Anthony Smith was born in Plattsburgh, New York into an Air Force family and after four years in Okinawa, Japan his family returned to the states and planted firm roots in the Inland Empire. His path to medicine began early on through a number of soccer-related sports injuries primarily treated by physician assistants in the military healthcare system.

After graduating from Moreno Valley High School, he continued to play soccer at a semi-professional level and worked as a Pharmacy Technician while completing his B.S. in Biology from California State University San Bernardino. Pursuing his passion for sports medicine he then went on to obtain his M.S. in Physician Assistant Sciences from Western University of Health Sciences in 2002 with the intent of working in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.