Dr. Vater was raised in Mexico City. He grew up with a bilingual education in Spanish and German and ultimately moved to the United States in his teenage years. His secondary education was completed at the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s in biology and a minor in chemistry. Subsequently he entered medical school at the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, MO, and then completed in a rotating internship at Tulsa Regional Medical Center in OK.

His residency in orthopedics was completed at Deaconess Medical Center with a pediatric externship at Children’s Hospital in Denver and trauma orthopedic surgery at University Medical Center. Dr. Vater entered a trauma orthopedic fellowship at University Medical Center subsequently completed a second fellowship in spine surgery, also at University Medical Center.