Background
Smits was born on May 13, 1958 in Leersum, Holland, Netherlands; the son of Minne and Cornelia Aartje (Van der Gang) Smits.
Smits was born on May 13, 1958 in Leersum, Holland, Netherlands; the son of Minne and Cornelia Aartje (Van der Gang) Smits.
Smits received a Bachelor of Science degree from Geneeskunde University in 1982. Five years later he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Geneeskunde University in 1989.
Smits began his career as an assistant researcher at State University of Groningen (nowadays University of Groningen) in 1978. Four years later he held the position of a scientist at the same university and held it until 1986. He served as flight surgeon at Holland Air Force in 1987-1988. Then in 1989, Taco was appointed a house officer in Almelo.
Taco was a resident in surgery at the University Hospital of Groningen from 1990 to 1993 and at Martini Ziekenhuis Hospital in 1993-1996. Nowadays he works as a surgeon at the University Medical Center Groningen.
Smits is a member of Noord Nederlandse Aero Club in Groningen, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Heelkunde, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Traumatologie and Nederlandse Vereniging voor Vaatchirurgie.
On October 12, 1957 Taco Smits married Anne Margot Van Couwelaar. They have 3 children.