Megan Cheeley’s Journey of Dry Eye to Skin Expertise, Innovation, and Empowering Others
From Front Desk to Dry Eye Department Leader: How Megan Cheeley Built a Career Through Passion and Perseverance
Influential Women 2026
Ten years ago, Megan Cheeley walked into an optometry practice as a front desk employee. Today, she leads and operates the practice's dry eye department—an achievement built not on a traditional medical degree, but on a decade of hands-on experience, continuous education, dedication to her patients, and a passion for helping others.
Megan's career journey reflects what can happen when a woman recognizes an opportunity, embraces learning, and refuses to limit herself by where she starts.
She began her career at the front desk of an optometry practice and steadily expanded her responsibilities, moving from front desk operations to technician, then front desk manager, and eventually into specialized dry eye care. Over the years, she developed a passion for helping patients suffering from chronic dry eye and ocular surface conditions and ultimately became the person responsible for running the practice's dry eye department.
Today, Megan brings more than seven years of specialized experience with advanced dry eye technology and has become an integral part of the patient care team.
A Passion for Dry Eye Care
As a Dry Eye Specialist, Megan works closely with patients experiencing dry eye syndrome, ocular surface disease, and related conditions. Her role combines patient education, advanced technology, treatment coordination, and hands-on care.
One of the technologies she specializes in is OptiLight IPL, an innovative intense pulsed light treatment used in dry eye management. Through years of experience, Megan has developed extensive knowledge of how to incorporate IPL into a comprehensive dry eye treatment approach and how to educate patients throughout their treatment journey.
Her expertise extends beyond IPL. She is also experienced with:
- TriLift 2.0
- Radiofrequency treatments
- BlephEx
- AgeJET plasma skin resurfacing
- WiQo PRX facial treatments
Her work has allowed her to bridge two areas of patient care that she is deeply passionate about: helping people feel better and helping them feel confident in their appearance.
Transforming the Patient Experience
Megan personally performs approximately 6–8 treatments each day, spending significant one-on-one time with patients. That time allows her to educate patients about their conditions, explain their treatment processes, answer questions, and help them understand the importance of following their care plans.
Her role also provides an important benefit to the optometrists she works alongside.
By managing much of the education and hands-on treatment process, Megan helps optimize the doctors' time, allowing them to focus on examinations, diagnosis, and other aspects of patient care while she provides specialized treatment and support.
It is a collaborative approach that benefits everyone—the patients, the doctors, and the practice.
For Megan, however, success is about much more than numbers or efficiency.
It is about seeing a patient who has struggled with dry, uncomfortable eyes finally experience improvement.
It is about helping someone regain confidence.
And it is about creating an environment where patients feel listened to, educated, and cared for.
Where Eye Care Meets Aesthetics
Megan's expertise has also expanded into medical aesthetics and skincare. Within the practice, she works with two respected medical skincare lines, SkinCeuticals and ZO Skin Health, helping patients understand professional skincare options and develop routines that complement their aesthetic treatments.
This combination of dry eye care and aesthetics has allowed Megan to create a unique role within the practice—one centered around the complete patient experience.
Whether she is treating ocular surface disease, performing an IPL treatment, providing an aesthetic procedure, or helping someone understand their skincare routine, her goal remains the same:
Help people feel healthier, more confident, and more comfortable in their own skin.
A Woman Who Built Her Career From the Ground Up
Megan's story is especially meaningful because she did not begin her career knowing where it would lead.
She started at the front desk.
She learned.
She took on more responsibility.
She became a technician.
She became a manager.
She discovered a passion for dry eye care.
She pursued specialized training.
And eventually, she built and ran an entire dry eye department.
Her journey demonstrates that influence isn't always created by having the biggest title or the most traditional career path. Sometimes, it comes from becoming exceptionally good at what you do, continually learning, taking ownership, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people you serve.
Megan's career is a testament to the power of experience, perseverance, curiosity, and believing that there is always another level to reach.
Looking Toward the Future
As Megan continues to grow professionally, her vision extends beyond the walls of her own practice. She is passionate about sharing the knowledge she has gained throughout her career and helping other practices develop successful dry eye programs.
Her experience has shown her that advanced technology alone doesn't create a successful dry eye department. It takes education, organization, patient communication, treatment protocols, staff training, and someone who understands how to bring all of those pieces together.
That is the perspective Megan hopes to share with other professionals in the future.
From a front desk position to leading a specialized department, Megan Cheeley's story is one of growth, determination, and purpose.
She didn't simply find a career—she built one.
