Carmona's childhood experiences of growing up in a low-income Hispanic family in New York City greatly sensitized him to the relationships among culture, health, education and economic status that have shaped his life. After dropping out of high school, Carmona enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967 and while serving, he earned his General Equivalency Diploma and went on to become a combat-decorated Special Forces Vietnam veteran. After leaving active duty, he attended Bronx Community College of the City University of New York, where he received an associate of the arts degree. He then attended the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977 and a medical degree in 1979. Carmona was awarded the prestigious gold-headed cane as the top graduate at UCSF.

Trained in general and vascular surgery, Carmona also completed a National Institutes of Health-sponsored fellowship in trauma, burns, and critical care and was then recruited jointly by the Tucson, Arizona Medical Center and the University of Arizona to start and direct Arizona's first regional trauma care system. He went on to become chairman of the State of Arizona Southern Regional Emergency Medical System, a professor of surgery, public health, and family and community medicine at the University of Arizona, and the Pima County Sheriff's Department surgeon and deputy sheriff. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.


Through his service for over 25 years as a deputy sheriff, detective, SWAT team leader, and department surgeon with the Pima County Sheriff's Department in Tucson, Carmona has received numerous awards, including the National Top Cop Award, the National SWAT Officer of the Year, and the National Tactical EMS Award. He is a nationally recognized SWAT expert and has published extensively on SWAT training and tactics, forensics, and tactical emergency medical support. Carmona has also served as a medical director of police and fire departments and is a fully qualified peace officer with expertise in special operations and emergency preparedness, including weapons of mass destruction.

Public health became Carmona's second career after he went back to graduate school as a professor in order to complete a master's degree in public health at the University of Arizona. His interest in public health stemmed from the realization that most of his patients' illnesses and injuries were completely preventable.

Carmona has published extensively in several health-related disciplines, holds memberships and leadership positions in many national organizations and has received numerous awards, decorations and honorary degrees for his leadership and contributions to society.

Rush University, with nearly 2,000 students, is the academic component of Rush University Medical Center, offering more than 30 degree and certificate options in medicine, nursing, allied health and biomedical research. The university is distinct for its practitioner-teacher model, translational research, nurturing academic environment and focus on community and global health. Seven programs in the Rush College of Nursing and three programs in the College of Health Sciences are ranked among the top 18 nationwide in the 2012 edition of the "America's Best Graduate Schools" survey published annually by U.S. News & World Report.

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