He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. Afterward, Dr. Braithwaite joined the United States Navy to become a flight surgeon. He went on to achieve the rank of Commander as a staff plastic surgeon for Bethesda Naval Medical Center and spent his last several years of active duty as the Chief of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Braithwaite has also worked with the Breast Care Center, the headquarters for breast reconstruction patients in the National Capital Area. He currently serves as Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.