Margaret Smith trained in medicine in Adelaide, graduating in 1956. She did five years postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology in Edinburgh and London, earning the MRCOG (gold medal) in 1963.

With her surgeon husband, Frank, she spent seven years in Papua New Guinea as the specialist Obstetrician/Gynaecologist to the Highlands region. She was elected FRCOG in 1971. She was a Foundation Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in 1978 (FRACOG).

Between 1972 and 1987 she was Senior Lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology for UWA, being based at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH). In 1978, she founded the first menopause clinic in WA (also at KEMH). She continued to serve this public clinic until Wednesday 29 August, 2001.

In 1987 she left her sheltered teaching position and moved into a private practice which she called “Caring for Women” because she realised that women were hungry for good information about themselves and their hormones.

Margaret was already giving public talks to women in small and large groups. Hormone Replacement Therapy was, in those days, ‘flavour of the month’ and was said to protect against heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia, as well as relieving the classical symptoms of hot flushes, sleep disturbance and vaginal dryness.

At this time she conducted a very busy obstetric practice as well as her work in medical gynaecology and menopause.

In the late 1990s several medical papers were published which purported to show that the risks of HRT could outweigh the benefits.

Margaret has published 30 medical papers in the fields of menopause and osteoporosis. Margaret has published a book, “Midlife Assessment – A Handbook for Women” and she has recently completed co-authoring a second book on midlife to called “Is It Me Or My Hormones?”

Margaret is a foundation member of the Australasian Menopause Society and was president from 1995 to 1997. She is a member of the AMA, the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Bone Mineral Society. She is an Honorary Research Fellow of the Women and Infants Research Foundation. She was a Member of the Consensus Panel, which drew up the Australian National Consensus Report on the Management of Osteoporosis – Canberra 1996.

Margaret was amongst a small group of professionals who founded the “Serpentine Falls Holistic Centre” which became the “Centre for Attitudinal Healing” in 1988. She was the president of this organisation from 1986 to 1997 and is still an executive on the Board.

In 1994 she was WA Citizen of the Year (professional category). She was awarded this honour particularly for her leadership as a Medical Educator for the medical profession and for the public.

She was made AM in 1996 for her work in advancing women’s health care in WA and also for her work in Attitudinal Healing.

The Caring for Women practice is now devoted to women with hormone problems including menopause. Women are anxious and need good information and reassurance. Out of their stories was woven the book “Is it ME or my Hormones?” which contains reassurance and advice.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
Robert Schuller