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May 29, 2025
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The Ophthalmic Assistant Training Program is one of many initiatives designed to meet Mayo's workforce needs by creating and expanding programs to address specific clinical needs. See how the program helped Kate Erwin become a certified ophthalmic assistant.
As a public school art teacher in Rochester, Minnesota, Kate Erwin spent eight years teaching students to see the world through an artist’s lens. But when she began considering a career change, she found herself drawn to a different kind of vision — one that involved lenses of a much more literal kind.
She talked to her husband, Nate Erwin, a project manager with Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine, about possible career options at Mayo. That's when Nate happened to see the Ophthalmic Assistant Training Program offered through Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
"The timing was ideal as I had been thinking for a couple of years that I was ready to move on from teaching, and I had just mentioned that maybe I'd like to move into something like optometry or ophthalmology," Kate says.
Once she learned more about the program, it seemed like a great fit, Kate says.
The Ophthalmic Assistant Training Program is one of many initiatives designed to meet the workforce needs of Mayo Clinic by creating and expanding programs to address specific clinical needs enterprise-wide, says Mary Bany, an administrator at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
Kate enrolled in and completed the eight-month program to become a certified ophthalmic assistant in 2024 and was immediately hired at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. On a typical day, she works with as many as 25 patients, testing visual acuity, checking eyeglass prescriptions, and taking other information before patients are seen by ophthalmologists. Often, she assists with minor surgical procedures or injections for patients being treated for macular degeneration.
It's quite a fast-paced environment. Fortunately, I was well-prepared. I received probably the broadest and most thorough education possible, so I have a lot of versatility in my skills and am able to assist in many areas of ophthalmology.
Kate Erwin, C.O.A.
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota
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Program addresses high-demand workforce needs
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences launched the Ophthalmic Assistant Training Program in 2023 in response to a need for ophthalmic assistants not only at Mayo Clinic but throughout the field, says Adam Seeman, the program's director.
"At the time, there were no other programs within 200 miles of Rochester, and there's definitely a need for assistants here and across the country," Seeman says.
For most of their training, students receive hands-on learning experiences, testing patients' vision and eye pressure, and gathering all the information that a doctor needs before seeing the patient.
While employment at Mayo Clinic is not guaranteed, the first two students who graduated from the Rochester program in May 2024 have joined Mayo staff. Eight spaces are available in the Rochester program, and two students are enrolled in it in Florida.
"As the need grows, we're hoping to expand the program to Mayo Clinic in Arizona and to Mayo Clinic Health System clinics," Seeman says.
There are many opportunities available at Mayo Clinic for anyone who is motivated and committed to our values. At Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, our mission is to attract a broad pool of prospective students, including nontraditional students and staff who may want to pursue another allied health career or gain training for career advancement. New programs such as the Ophthalmic Assistant Training Program are helping to meet Mayo's workforce needs as well as critical needs elsewhere.
Mary Bany, M.A.
Administrator, Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
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Helping prospective students draw connections between previous career interests and the limitless variety of allied healthcare career options at Mayo Clinic is key to the school, Bany says.
It wasn't easy for Erwin to decide to leave teaching for a new career, but she sees parallels between her work in healthcare and teaching.
"Some of the biggest are the daily interactions with people and the feeling that I'm making a positive impact on their lives," she says. "I enjoy getting to meet a variety of patients and doctors, especially as residents cycle through their four years at Mayo Clinic. There are on-the-job problem-solving situations that challenge me, and I continually learn every day. Learning to listen to and empathize with patients is very similar to working with students."
"We're developing adaptable educational models that meet Mayo Clinic's practice needs and offer clear career pathways for students to advance in critical healthcare roles," Bany says. "We can help prospective students, including nontraditional students as well as current Mayo Clinic staff who are looking to develop new career options, to find clearly defined paths to exciting futures."
About Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences educates allied health professionals to meet Mayo Clinic's workforce needs and train the healthcare workforce of the future. More than 1,600 students are enrolled annually in more than 140 allied health programs that offer transformative education, innovation, and a commitment to excellence in patient-centered care.