Dr. Bates places his focus in sports medicine and the reconstruction and replacement of damaged bones, joints, and cartilage resulting from sports injuries, traumatic injuries, and tumors of the extremities. He was trained at the Hospital for Special Surgery/Cornell University Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. As an orthopedic surgeon, Navy Flight Surgeon, and Navy Diving Medical Officer, he serves as a consultant to the San Diego-based Navy SEAL Teams.