Sir Philip Henry Pye-Smith took his medical degree at Guy's Hospital. He returned there in 1865 as lecturer on comparative anatomy and zoology and reorganised its museum. In 1866 he was made Demonstrator of Anatomy and in 1871, after a year as Registrar, Assistant Physician. After taking charge of the skin department in 1877, he became a recognised Consultant in skin diseases. He was appointed Lecturer on Physiology at Guy’s in 1873, full Physician in 1883 and Lecturer on Medicine in 1884; he retired from the staff in 1899. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of London.