{"id":29903,"date":"2026-03-18T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T09:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/?p=29903"},"modified":"2026-04-01T18:54:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T18:54:57","slug":"the-impact-of-mike-carter-pa-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/magazine\/2026\/03\/18\/the-impact-of-mike-carter-pa-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni Spotlight: The Impact of Mike Carter, PA-C"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead\">For our inaugural entry of the Alumni Spotlight series, Tacoma faculty member and MEDEX Alumni lead Jannelle Fukuji sat down with Mike Carter, PA-C, of MEDEX Tacoma Class 1, whose career reflects the full scope of the PA profession across clinical practice, leadership, education, and mentorship.<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-center\"><div class=\"is-divider divider clearfix\" style=\"max-width:1000px;background-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\t<div id=\"gap-1566693050\" class=\"gap-element clearfix\" style=\"display:block; height:auto;\">\n\t\t\n<style>\n#gap-1566693050 {\n  padding-top: 30px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"uppercase\" style=\"text-align: center\">Alumni Spotlight: Mike Carter<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"thin-font\" style=\"text-align: center\">By Jannelle Fukuji<\/h3>\n\t<div id=\"gap-1596242324\" class=\"gap-element clearfix\" style=\"display:block; height:auto;\">\n\t\t\n<style>\n#gap-1596242324 {\n  padding-top: 15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n<p>For Mike Carter, PA-C, the path to becoming a\u00a0PA\u00a0began long before PA school.<\/p>\n<p>Growing up in a military family, Mike spent time in West Virginia, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington. Healthcare was always part of his world:\u00a0His mother worked as a nurse for more than forty years, and her dedication to caring for patients left a lasting impression.<\/p>\n<p>Mike\u2019s own entry into healthcare came through emergency medical services. After taking an EMT course and discovering how much he enjoyed the work, he eventually became a paramedic. The fast-paced environment and hands-on care appealed to him, but over time he found himself wanting a deeper understanding of the medicine behind the situations he encountered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI loved EMS and the paramedic career,\u201d Mike explains. \u201cBut I felt limited by the scope of practice. We could do the procedures, but I wanted to understand the deeper pathophysiology behind what was happening with patients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That curiosity ultimately led him to pursue the\u00a0PA\u00a0profession and apply to the MEDEX Northwest PA Program.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%\"><strong>Finding a Place at MEDEX<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mike was initially accepted to the MEDEX Yakima campus, but when the decision was made to close that campus, students were transferred to Tacoma.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Tacoma campus chose me,\u201d Mike says with a laugh. \u201cLuckily my mom lived there, so I became that stereotypical thirty-something living in his parents\u2019 basement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mike became part of the\u00a0<strong>i<\/strong>naugural Tacoma campus class, an experience that allowed students to help shape the culture of a new campus while building strong connections with faculty and classmates.<\/p>\n<p>One of Mike\u2019s most meaningful experiences during PA school was helping establish the MEDEX Urban Grace Foot Clinic\u00a0alongside his classmate Kate Osborne\u2014an initiative that provided care to members of the Tacoma community while giving students valuable hands-on experience. (insert link of video here)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s one of the memories that has really stayed with me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%\"><strong>Mentors Who Shaped the Journey<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Like many MEDEX graduates, Mike credits several mentors with shaping his development as both a clinician and educator.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most influential was Dr.\u00a0Tim Evans<strong>,\u00a0<\/strong>former medical director\u00a0for\u00a0the MEDEX program, whose teaching left a lasting impact on many students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe had the best teaching style,\u201d Mike\u00a0recalled. \u201cHe used a chalkboard and simple examples that made complex ideas clear. I still use those techniques in my own teaching today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another pivotal mentor was Dr. Bryan Johnson, MD, of Whitman Medical Group in Colfax, Washington. During Mike\u2019s rural family medicine rotation, Dr. Johnson exposed him to the full spectrum of patient care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe would see patients in clinic, run over to the emergency department to splint a leg, then head upstairs to check on admitted patients before coming back to clinic,\u201d Mike recalls.<\/p>\n<p>It was also during this rotation that Mike developed a strong interest in cardiology and heart failure management\u200b\u2014knowledge that later influenced his work in critical care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe discovered my love of cardiology and gave me the basic pillars of heart failure management which resound with me to this day,\u201d\u00a0Mike recalled. \u201cTo give you an idea of how important he was to me, I, the man who left school to take a job in advanced heart failure and transplant at an academic medical center, followed by a highly autonomous role with an urban community MICU,\u00a0<em>almost took a job in family medicine!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%\"><strong>Practicing Medicine at Full Scope<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Today,\u00a0Mike practices medicine in the critical care unit with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in the Puget Sound region, where he manages complex and high-acuity patients.<\/p>\n<p>Critical care appealed to him because it allowed him to combine many aspects of medicine he enjoys:\u00a0clinical reasoning, procedural skills, and teamwork.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love seeing pathophysiology in action,\u201d he says. \u201cIn critical care you can often see the effects of your interventions almost immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the clinical work itself, Mike values the opportunity to support patients and families through some of the most challenging moments in their lives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the most meaningful parts of this work is helping people die well,\u201d he says. \u201cSupporting families through those moments is incredibly important.\u201d<\/p>\n\t<div id=\"gap-954992115\" class=\"gap-element clearfix\" style=\"display:block; height:auto;\">\n\t\t\n<style>\n#gap-954992115 {\n  padding-top: 15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n<div id=\"amw_galleria_slideshow_1\" class=\"amw-galleria-slideshow\"><\/div>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(\"#amw_galleria_slideshow_1\").galleria({\"dataSource\":[{\"image\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-Carter-and-doggo-1024x768.jpg\",\"big\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-Carter-and-doggo-1024x768.jpg\",\"thumb\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-Carter-and-doggo-150x150.jpg\",\"title\":\"Mike Carter and doggo\",\"description\":\"With the doggo\",\"altTag\":\"\"},{\"image\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-Missy-1024x768.jpg\",\"big\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-Missy-1024x768.jpg\",\"thumb\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-Missy-150x150.jpg\",\"title\":\"Mike and Missy\",\"description\":\"Missy and Mike\",\"altTag\":\"\"},{\"image\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-the-kids-1024x768.jpg\",\"big\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-the-kids-1024x768.jpg\",\"thumb\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-the-kids-150x150.jpg\",\"title\":\"Mike and the kids\",\"description\":\"Mike and the kids\",\"altTag\":\"\"},{\"image\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-at-the-lectern-1024x768.jpg\",\"big\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-at-the-lectern-1024x768.jpg\",\"thumb\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-at-the-lectern-150x150.jpg\",\"title\":\"Mike at the lectern\",\"description\":\"Professionally speaking: Mike at the lectern during a conference\",\"altTag\":\"\"},{\"image\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-Rainier-1024x768.jpg\",\"big\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-Rainier-1024x768.jpg\",\"thumb\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-and-Rainier-150x150.jpg\",\"title\":\"Mike and Rainier\",\"description\":\"The other side of the mountain: Mike and Mt. Rainier\",\"altTag\":\"\"},{\"image\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-has-a-snack-1024x768.jpg\",\"big\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-has-a-snack-1024x768.jpg\",\"thumb\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-has-a-snack-150x150.jpg\",\"title\":\"Mike has a snack\",\"description\":\"Snack time!\",\"altTag\":\"\"},{\"image\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-larches-and-lake-1024x768.jpg\",\"big\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-larches-and-lake-1024x768.jpg\",\"thumb\":\"https:\\\/\\\/familymedicine.uw.edu\\\/medex\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Mike-larches-and-lake-150x150.jpg\",\"title\":\"Mike larches and lake\",\"description\":\"The larches and the lake\",\"altTag\":\"\"}],\"width\":\"auto\",\"height\":0.76,\"autoplay\":false,\"transition\":\"slide\",\"initialTransition\":\"fade\",\"transitionSpeed\":0,\"_delayTime\":4000,\"_hideControls\":false,\"_thumbnailMode\":\"grid\",\"_captionMode\":\"on_expand\"}); });<\/script>\n\n\t<div id=\"gap-1795119495\" class=\"gap-element clearfix\" style=\"display:block; height:auto;\">\n\t\t\n<style>\n#gap-1795119495 {\n  padding-top: 15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%\"><strong>Staying Connected to MEDEX<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Like many MEDEX alumni, Mike has remained closely connected to the program long after graduation.<\/p>\n<p>He continues to support MEDEX as a preceptor, lecturer, mentor, and proctor, helping\u00a0educate PA\u00a0students and sharing the lessons he learned from mentors who shaped his own career.<\/p>\n<p>For Mike, teaching often comes down to a moment of understanding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou see the moment when it clicks\u2014when anatomy, physiology, and the patient in front of you come together,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s when students realize what medicine is really about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to working with students, Mike contributes to PA fellowship training, helping prepare clinicians for the demands of high-acuity care and demonstrating the full scope of the PA profession.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%\"><strong>A Personal Connection<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mike\u2019s connection to MEDEX is also deeply personal.<\/p>\n<p>His wife, Missy Carter, PA-C, is a graduate of the Tacoma campus herself. The two met shortly after Mike graduated, when he returned to give a lecture on ECG interpretation. As first impressions go, it didn\u2019t start out in the best way, but clearly everything turned out OK in that regard, and it was also one of the best experiences of his professional life.<\/p>\n<p>During the lecture, Mike\u00a0had\u00a0misspoken,\u00a0and Missy was quick to point it out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt first I doubled down,\u201d he says with a smile. \u201cThen I realized she was right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mike\u00a0returned to\u00a0the classroom the next day to\u00a0correct the mistake and apologize\u2014a moment that became an important lesson in humility.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs someone who teaches adults now, that experience stuck with me. It\u2019s important to admit when you\u2019re wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%\"><strong>Life Outside the ICU<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Outside of medicine, Mike enjoys spending time outdoors and staying active. Cycling and trail running have become some of his favorite ways to recharge outside the hospital.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAvid trail runner, amateur gravel biker, terrible triathlete,\u201d Mike jokes.<\/p>\n<p>Like many clinicians, he values the opportunity to step away from the intensity of critical care and return refreshed for the work he finds so meaningful.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%\"><strong>A Message for Future PAs<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Reflecting on his career, Mike credits MEDEX with shaping not only his clinical knowledge but also his perspective as a professional and mentor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe time I spent at MEDEX allowed me to grow in so many ways:\u00a0in my knowledge, humility, and confidence,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>His advice for students entering the profession reflects the lifelong learning that defines the practice of medicine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeep learning. Never stop trying to better yourself. The more knowledge you have, the better clinician you will be\u2014and the better care you can provide your patients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Today, Mike continues to practice medicine, teach, and mentor the next generation of clinicians,\u00a0reflecting the full scope of the\u00a0PA\u00a0profession and the lasting connections many MEDEX alumni maintain with the program and the communities they serve.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For our inaugural entry of the Alumni Spotlight series, Tacoma faculty member and MEDEX Alumni lead Jannelle Fukuji sat down with Mike Carter, PA-C, of MEDEX Tacoma Class 1, whose career reflects the full scope of the PA profession across clinical practice, leadership, education, and mentorship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":265,"featured_media":29931,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-medex-stories"],"cp_meta_data":{"_edit_lock":["1773888863:265"],"_thumbnail_id":["29931"],"_edit_last":["265"],"_wp_old_date":["2026-03-19"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29903"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29951,"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29903\/revisions\/29951"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familymedicine.uw.edu\/medex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}