Dr. Phelps attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Zoology in 1982.  He began his dental training at the USC School of Dentistry in 1982 and received his D.D.S. degree in 1986.  At USC, Dr. Phelps received several awards and was elected into the Dental Honor Fraternity, OKU.
Dr. Phelps received his Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Certificate from the LAC-USC Medical Center in 1990.  His training was based out of this hospital and the USC School of Dentistry and included extensive training in dental implantology, jaw reconstructive and orthognathic surgery, maxillofacial trauma (fractures and soft tissue repairs of all the bones of the face), and maxillofacial pathology.