Donald “DJ” Smith

D.J. served the majority of his 20-year military career in special operations as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. In his roles as a special operations medic, he was responsible for operational medical planning, cared for his small teams and the local population in austere environments during training and combat deployments, developed medical training programs, and supervised a family practice clinic for Soldiers and their families.

The medical, training and leadership skills he developed in the military led him to pursue a master’s in clinical health services at the University of Washington after his retirement, to continue to serve his local community as a physician assistant in emergency medicine. D.J. also maintains a passion for medical education, coaching and mentoring students in wilderness medicine and as a physician assistant educator.