Dr. Gates grew up in Rockwall, TX, and always dreamed of being a veterinarian. She followed the family tradition and received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science at Texas A&M and went on to Oklahoma State University to complete her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.

As a child, Dr. Gates made it her personal mission to catch any stray in the neighborhood and return them to their owners. Fortunately for her, Dr. Gates' uncle is the veterinarian in her hometown. He made it clear that she needed to love science more than animals if she wanted to be a veterinarian. Dr. Gates was able to shadow her uncle in high school, and on her first day she witnessed an orthopedic surgery. She was amazed with how surgery significantly changed the quality of life of that dog and on that day fell in love with veterinary medicine.

As veterinarian, Dr. Gates tries to help people understand what is wrong with their pet and what can be done to help them. Whether it is explaining a disease process or the importance of preventative medicine, she wants to make sure that every pet owner understands how best to take care of their family member. As a (slightly obsessed) dog owner, Dr. Gates likes to treat each patient as if they were her own – with patience and compassion. Special interest include – internal medicine and behavior.

Outside of work, Dr. Gates spends the majority of her free time two stepping or training her dog, Howdy. During her 4th year in vet school, Dr. Gates and her classmate volunteered their time to take professional pictures of pets belonging to the staff and students of OKState VedMed. Their pictures can be seen on display in the Boren Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Gates is a certified Fear Free and Cat Friendly veterinarian.