A native of North Carolina, Dr. Carter grew up in Washington, D.C. He earned degrees from Howard University (psychology) and George Washington University (environmental health). After a five-year stint as a sanitarian and program manager with the District of Columbia Department of Public Health, he left to pursue medical studies at Georgetown University. Dr. Carter completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. This was followed by graduate work at the Harvard School of Public Health and a clinical fellowship in primary care medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Since completing his training, he has held a number of clinical and administrative positions, including Medical Directorships of several local and national health care organizations.

Dr. Carter currently serves as an attending physician on the medical service at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. From 2005 to 2014, he also served as the Medical Director of the Prostate Cancer Screening and Education Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. In addition to patient care, his other hospital-related activities include teaching medical students and residents, serving as a liaison for various community health programs, and serving as a member of the Internship Selection Committee. A former director of one of the major clinical clerkships, he now serves as a teacher, advisor and mentor for students at Harvard College, the Medical School, and the School of Public Health.

Dr. Carter has been active in a number of civic and community organizations. He is a former member of the board of directors of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. He is past chair of the Brookline Advisory Council on Public Health. He is a former member and past president of the Board of Trustees of Family Service of Greater Boston. He is also a former member of the Board of Trustees of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is co-founder and former president of the Friends of Public Health in Brookline, Massachusetts. Dr. Carter is past chair of the Harvard School of Public Health's Reunion Giving Committee, Alumni Weekend Committee and Award of Merit Committee; He is current chair of its Nominating Committee. He is past President of the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Association and a former director of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA). He is a founding member of the Georgetown University African American Advisory Board.

Dr. Carter regularly gives talks on medical and health-related issues to community groups and students throughout the greater Boston area. He also lectures nationally and internationally on medical and public health topics. He serves as a medical consultant and resource for members of the print and electronic media. He is the recipient of the 2010 Harvard Medical School/Harvard School of Dental Medicine Community Service Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the 2020 Founders Alumni Award from Georgetown, the 2020 HAA Award from The Harvard Alumni Association, and the 2022 John Carroll Award from Georgetown.