Dr. Holt grew up in California and Hawaii, and when his father retired from the Marine Corp, moved to Louisiana where he entered Centenary College in Shreveport, majoring in Chemistry. He entered Medical School in 1984 at Louisiana State University Health Science Center where he was in an MD/PhD program. However, his training was interrupted by military service during Desert Storm where he served as the Brigade Surgeon for Tiger Brigade, 2nd Armored Division of General Patton's fame, and was awarded the Bronze Star. He gained experience with Air Medical evacuation, and while in the military completed an Emergency Medicine Residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas where he was requested to stay as staff physician. After completing his military service, he accepted a position in Shreveport where he became the Medical Director for Willis Knighton Medical Center Bossier. He later accepted a position in Kona, Hawaii before moving to Hong Kong as the Medical Director for AirMed Asia.