Howard Chaitoff came to Alaska in 1987 and served as a medical service specialist at Eielson AFB. He then went on to pursue a Bachelors of Sciences degree from the Universtiy of Alaska Anchorage, graduating in 1991. He was awarded a Wellcome pharmaceutical grant in 1996 to study clinical cytogenetics at the Salisbury Genetics Laboratory in England. Then completed his post graduate degree in Secondary Sciences Education at Southampton University in England. Finally, Howard attended the University of Washington, MEDEX physician assistant program in 2006.