She earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1985 and a master’s degree in zoology in 1986, both at the University of Idaho. She completed medical school at the University of Washington in 1990, and her residency at Family Practice Residency of Idaho in Boise. Dr. Burgess was on active duty with the U.S. Air Force from 1993 to 1996, serving as a major in the Medical Corps. She was president of the Idaho Medical Association in 2005-2006, and is a current member of the IMA board of trustees and an Idaho delegate to the American Medical Association.