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EW SHOW DAILY 60 I was 8 years old, saying 'I know it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I really want to be a doctor,'" she said. It was a trip to Sierra Leone to visit the Kissy UMC Eye Hospital (currently named Lowell and Ruth Gess UMC Eye Hospital), which her grandfather and grandmother established in 1984, that lead her to specialize in ophthalmology. "To see the work that was being done, I thought, 'This is just so amazing, they're restoring eyesight," Dr. Ristvedt said. "You would see these patients lined up for days." After joining the practice es- tablished by her grandfather where her father worked for more than 35 years, Dr. Ristvedt said she thinks the bond among the family in this business is attractive to patients. "I have patients who say, 'I started with your grandpa, and it's so neat that we can continue in your family,'" she said. "I think that makes patients here a lot more comfortable that they know we're carrying on a tradition in this com- munity." And will that tradition continue beyond her? Dr. Ristvedt, expecting her third child, said it's a "hope and a prayer" that 1 of her children will consider going into ophthalmology someday. But, just as her father and grandfather didn't push her, she doesn't intend to push them. "[Medicine] is a tough road," she said. "When I look back though and think, 'Would I do this all over again?' I think, without a doubt in my mind. I just hope that my kids see that passion in me and see that I love what I do and that they're mo- tivated by that to pursue, hopefully, ophthalmology." Dr. Lowell Gess, who went to West Africa during the height of the Ebola epidemic at 93 years old to help, is preparing to cross the ocean for the 187th time to assist in the collaboration for research on persistence of the Ebola virus. The continued research will involve Kissy UMC Eye Hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and Emory University, he said. When it comes to getting the whole family together again, Dr. Lowell Gess expressed excitement for a family reunion on July 13. "For my birthday," he said. "It will be my 95th." EW Reference Resnikoff S, et al. The number of ophthalmol- ogists in practice and training worldwide: a growing gap despite more than 200,000 prac- titioners. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012;96:783–787. AcuFocus Inc. Alcon Laboratories Inc. Avedro Bausch + Lomb Clarity Medical Systems Epsilon USA Haag-Streit Diagnostics Oculus Inc. Shire Pharmaceuticals Thank you for your sponsorship of the EyeWorld Corporate Events: Abbott Medical Optics Inc. AcuFocus Inc. Aerie Pharmaceuticals Alcon Laboratories Inc. Allergan Bausch + Lomb Imprimis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Ocular Therapeutix Inc. Omeros Corporation Shire Pharmaceuticals TearLab TearScience Thank you for providing unrestricted educational grants: Thank you for supporting our ASCRS-Authorized Education Programs: Glaukos continued from page 58 With eyecare being such a large part of her family, Dr. Ristvedt said she hopes 1 of her children might someday consider pursuing ophthalmology. Source (all): Lowell Gess, MD

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