In this episode live from Hawaiian Eye 2026, Cathleen M. McCabe, MD, speaks with Deborah Ristvedt, DO, about being a third-generation ophthalmologist, her experiences and how a simple hike can pivot your life in the right direction.

· Talking about family support and stay-at-home dads 2:40

· Finding points of pivot 8:00

· What are some of your learning experiences? 10:17

· What does it actually mean to be a DO? 15:07

· Discussion on moments of self-doubt 23:09

We'd love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to podcast@healio.com. Follow us on Twitter @Healio_OSN.

In this episode of Mend the Gap, Cathleen McCabe, MD is live from Hawaiian Eye 2026 with special guest Jim Mazzo, host of Healio's Eyeluminaries podcast. They discuss Mazzo's fascinating career turns and how he got to where he is today.

· Who is Jim Mazzo? 02:37

· What's something you've done behind the scenes that helped you network? 10:24

· What helped you be a better mentor? 13:09

· How do you sustain a good support system? 16:33

Be sure to listen to the first part of this conversation on Eyeluminaries.

We'd love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to podcast@healio.com. Follow us on Twitter @Healio_OSN.

In this episode live from Hawaiian Eye 2026, Cathleen McCabe, MD speaks with Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS about her fascinating career that has spanned many decades. From shocking stories about ophthalmic research to being the first woman to pioneer a number of leadership roles in the field, Dr. McDonald shares her journey.

We'd love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to podcast@healio.com. Follow us on Twitter @Healio_OSN. Mend the Gap would also like to give you the chance to nominate yourself or a colleague for a travel grant! To enter, simply email us at podcast@healio.com!

· Welcome to this episode 1:23

· Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS 1:35

· Tell us about your career, how did you start? 4:30

· How did you become the first person in the world to perform corneal refractive surgery? 9:27

· Radial keratotomy and a lawsuit 16:07

· Refractive surgery research 20:10

· Facing criticism 29:13

· Any motivating words for our audience? 35:12

· Thank you! 37:34

Cathleen McCabe, MD, is chief medical officer of Eye Health America and medical director of The Eye Associates in Sarasota, Florida.

Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, is a clinical professor of ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health and in private practice with OCLI in Long Island, NY.