David Chen grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and certificate in Engineering Biology. He completed a dual program Doctor of Medicine and Masters in Public Health concentrating in Health Systems and Policy at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He moved to Delaware for his combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency at Jefferson Medical College-Christiana Care Health System and Nemours/Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children. He lived on the North Side of Wilmington for two years during his training.

David still lives within the city of Wilmington and is a dual board certified Pediatric and Internal Medicine Hospitalist at Christiana Care Health System. He is a board member of the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence and an advisor to the CDC Community Advisory Council on Gun Violence. David and his wife have two young boys and are members of Epiphany Church of Wilmington.