When looking for a doctor to evaluate your eyes in Erie there is one name that sticks out in the Erie area: Sala. The Erie Eye Clinic right down the street from Cathedral Prep is run by three Sala brothers and was started by their father. Mike Sala, one of the three brothers, is a 1988 graduate of Cathedral Prep.
Sala had no doubts when he chose to come to Prep, as his three older brothers went there and all of his friends were planning on enrolling at Cathedral Prep. Sala was actually very involved in the Prep community even before attending Prep, playing on the varsity hockey team as an 8th grader. Playing as an 8th grader, Sala was a part of the first state championship hockey team at Prep, which he noted was his favorite memory as a Rambler.
After graduating from Prep, Sala attended Gannon University, majoring in pre-med biology. “I was very prepared for college because of Prep,” he said. “I felt way more prepared than anyone else in my classes.” After graduating from Gannon, he attended Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) for medical school. He said this experience was when he was sure he wanted to become an eye doctor like his father and older brothers. He then graduated from LECOM with a degree in ophthalmology.
Out of medical school he obtained a job at his father’s business, the Erie Eye Clinic. Today, he and his brothers have expanded their father’s business into a larger building to see more patients. They work to provide quality, affordable eye care for all of their patients. “I enjoy taking care of people,” he said, “but [it’s] also frustrating running a business with insurances and government imposing standards in health.”
In his free time, Sala can be found hunting, fishing, boating, and spending time with family. His favorite memory of these hobbies is “fishing for five days in Canada when my son ditched me.” He also enjoys traveling when he is not at work. His favorite vacation to date was last summer in Ocean Isle. “I had a lot of fun fishing off the dock with family and friends,” he said. He also enjoys participating in a bocce league on Thursday nights to relieve some of the stress of being a doctor.
Sala still attributes a lot of his success today to his time at Cathedral Prep. He also has numerous friends from Prep he is still close with today. He really shows how the brotherhood at Prep is second to none.