Dr. Burroughs grew up in Colorado Springs and graduated from Air Academy High School. He then graduated with honors from the University of Texas. He completed his medical degree in 1993 at the highly selective Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine) in Maryland on a full Air Force scholarship.
His follow-on transitional internship was surgically concentrated and was followed by an ophthalmology residency in San Antonio, Texas. He served as a Chief Resident and as an instructor at the School of Aerospace Medicine. His skills and abilities in ophthalmic plastic surgery were recognized early in his training, and he was encouraged by his professors to seek subspecialty oculoplastic surgery training. In addition to his ophthalmic training, he received plastic surgery training from ophthalmic, ENT, and Facial Plastic surgeons in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
Between 1999-2004, he practiced in Florida as Chief of Ophthalmology and as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Eglin, AFB. Owing to his extensive oculoplastics experience, he became the military oculoplastics referral source for the multi-state region.
In 2004, he received a meritorious service medal and honorable discharge from the USAF. He then completed a highly selective two-year American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery fellowship in Facial and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery in Salt Lake City, Utah. He trained under Richard L. Anderson, one of the most respected oculoplastic surgeons in the world and a pioneer in the development of the subspecialty of Oculofacial Plastic Surgery.
He served as Chief of Oculoplastics and Orbital Surgery at the Salt Lake VA hospital, and as an Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology for the University of Utah. Dr. Burroughs was heavily recruited by numerous academic centers and his Utah practice enticed him to permanently join, but he instead returned to Colorado Springs in 2006. Since being back in Colorado, he was appointed an adjunct professor for Rocky Vista University Osteopathic Medical School.