Ophthalmic Training Program Alumni

Welcoming New Faculty Back to Kellogg

Ophthalmic technicians are an essential part of our care teams, facilitating high quality, efficient care for patients. Kellogg’s Technician-in-Training Program (KTITP) began in 2012 to address the urgent need for ophthalmic technicians. Since then, more than 100 people have been selected to take part in the rigorous program of classroom education and on-the-job training. Most graduates become technicians in ophthalmology and optometry practices. But for some, like 2017 graduate Audree Bass, the experience lights a fire that sends them down a different road.

“As an undergraduate, I knew I wanted a career in healthcare,” says Bass, who earned a B.S. in Biopsychology Cognition & Neuroscience from U-M in 2013. “But I wasn’t sure what direction to take.” She was considering medical school or a physician assistant program. Dr. Bass had learned about the KTITP program, but wasn’t sure.

Her roommate, who was training in optometry, suggested Bass try working in an optometrist’s office while she considered her next move. She loved it. Not long after, a chance encounter with a Kellogg staff member in a restaurant again raised the possibility of working at Kellogg. Right after that conversation, Bass received another call from the supervisor for the Tech-inTraining Program. “After discussing it with my dad, we both felt that this door kept opening for a reason.”

Based on her experiences with the KTITP, Bass decided to become a doctor of optometry. She earned her degree from Ohio State University in 2021. Now a faculty member at Michigan and an attending optometrist, Bass practices at Kellogg facilities in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.

She credits the program with giving her a leg up over her fellow optometry classmates in both knowledge and confidence. “From day one I knew the fundamentals like refraction, slit lamp examination and retinal scanning, and I had a solid foundation in the pathophysiology of eye diseases.”

“Even more important,” she adds, “Kellogg stressed listening skills and qualities like maturity, patience and kindness that are so essential for building patient relationships.”

“Mastering this challenging curriculum sets our graduates up for success in whatever they pursue,” says Program Administrator Cathy Huebner.

Tech-in-Training Alumni Highlights

Professional paths graduates have pursued include:

• M.D., Pediatrics

• M.D., Psychiatry

• Nursing

• Physician Assistant

• Orthoptics

• Clinic Management

• Clinical Research

• Public Health

• Global Health