Dr. Chao completed her undergraduate training at the United States Air Force Academy and her medical training at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She trained in Neurology at Wilford Hall Medical Center through the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Consortium residency program, followed by a clinical neurophysiology fellowship at the University Health Science Center in San Antonio.
While serving in the United States Air Force, she held multiple distinguished roles: leadership, master clinician, and neurology teaching faculty. She retired in 2025 after 21 years as a medical corps officer.
She has board certified in general neurology and clinical neurophysiology and actively maintains her credentials in these specialties through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). She has an active membership in the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).