Dr. Cates received his Doctorate of Pharmacy from Sullivan University College of Pharmacy in Louisville, Kentucky. He then completed his PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency with Sullivan University College of Pharmacy in Louisville, Kentucky. Upon completion of his PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency, he completed his PGY-2 HIV/AIDS Pharmacotherapeutics Pharmacy Residency focusing on primary care in patients with HIV/AIDS and co-infected with hepatitis C at the University at Buffalo.

During his residency training he worked in various collaborative practice environments, including anticoagulation management in New Albany, Indiana at Floyd Memorial Hospital, diabetes management at the Ambulatory Internal Medicine Clinic in Louisville, Kentucky at the University of Louisville Hospital, and primary care for patients with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York. At the completion of his PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency, he also obtained a Teaching Certificate through Sullivan University College of Pharmacy.

His areas of interest include HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, diabetes, and anticoagulation.