Medical director, Dr WJE Smit

TriMedical is directed by Dr. W J E (Charlie) Smit, a well-recognized and respected physician within the medical legal community. Dr Smit has more than 25 years’ experience in General Family Medicine, Sports Medicine and performing IME’s for law firms, Life and Disability Insurers, Employers, WorkSafeBC and Auto Insurers (ICBC).

With a background in diagnosing and treating patients with soft tissue and orthopaedic injuries, Dr Smit is well regarded in performing quality independent, unbiased and evidence based assessments. 

  • Medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Pretoria

  • Master’s degree in Sports Medicine (University of Pretoria)

  • Member of CFPC engaging in continuous medical education

  • Certified Marine Medical Examiner with Transport Canada

  • Certified by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners

  • Graduate of the Medical Legal & Insurance Expertise Program

  • Registered as a Certified Medical Legal Expert (CMLE)

OCCUPATIONAL & MEDICAL LEGAL EXPERIENCE

  • Appointed as the Medical Director of the Vancouver office of Medisys, (2012 - 2013). Dr. Smit performed periodic medical examinations for corporate executives, fire fighters and police officers. Oversaw pre-employment assessments of workers from various industries.

  • Since 2016 Dr Smit has been acting as a MARP (Medical Assessment and Return to Work Planning) Examiner for Lifemark and Back In Motion, rehabilitation, and physiotherapy company in BC. Medically assessing patients referred from the Worker’s Compensation Board of British Columbia (WCB). Examining injured workers, reviewing work incident reports, attending physicians reports, consultants reports and imaging reports. As well, Dr Smit would offer opinions on diagnosis, expected recovery cause, pre-existing pathology, causation, appropriate treatment options, permanent functional impairment, safe return to work management and liaison with all role players.

  • Medical Director of the False Creek Health Care Centre (2019 to 2022) Dr Smit performed executive health assessments, annual occupational health assessments and medically oversaw the facility.

  • Registered at the CPSBC as a Registered Care Advisor (RCA) receiving referrals of patients injured in motor vehicle accidents (ICBC). This role included examining injured patients, compiling RCA reports, and sending reports to the Referral Physician. Since ICBC’s new policy, Dr Smit performs CMA (Comprehensive Medical Assessments) of customer referrals from ICBC at his facility in Surrey.

  • Completed the WSBC training in Permanent Functional Impairment (previously PFD) Assessments (2019). On behalf of WSBC Dr Smit performs Medical Examinations for Impairment Assessments (MEIA) at his clinic.   

       
    INDEPENDENT MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS

  • Since 2014 on behalf of Independent Contractors, Legal Practitioners, Private Insurance Companies, Individual Clients and Labour Unions, Dr Smit performed on a regularly basis Independent Medical Examinations mostly in the field of work and motor vehicle accident related injuries to answer question and provide opinions related to causation, treatment recommendations, current condition, diagnosis and  return to work.

PUBLICATIONS

  • UP Space 2010:  A Retrospective Comparative Literature Study of ACL Repair; Dr WJE Smit.