Prior to that, after completing his undergraduate medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina, he completed his residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center. After residency Dr. Lake served at Fort Stewart, GA for four years which included time as a staff physician as well as deployments to Iraq as a Brigade Surgeon with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and Afghanistan as a Squadron Surgeon for 1-61 CAV, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, opportunities that afforded him the opportunity to coordinate and participate in the provision of medical care to the underserved local population.