Linda Bennett, OD, and her daughter, Rebecca Maida, OD, share a journey in optometry rooted in family legacy. Dr. Bennett initially pursued a career in teaching, but her uncle encouraged her to follow in her father’s footsteps. That’s when she made the switch to optometry. Similarly, Dr. Maida initially opposed the idea of becoming an optometrist.
“Growing up, people used to ask me if I would become an optometrist like my mom, and my answer was always no,” she says. It wasn’t until college that she reconsidered her path while discussing her future with Dr. Bennett. After graduating and teaching for two years, she enrolled in optometry school and ultimately joined her mother in practice.
Their professional dynamic evolved naturally, as both women recognized that practice management is equally important to patient care. “We decided right away to create a work relationship and an outside of work relationship,” Dr. Maida says. “For example, at work, I called her Dr. Bennett, not mom.” They treated each other as equals, exchanging ideas and addressing challenges as colleagues would.
Their admiration for each other as optometrists is evident in their mutual praise. “I learned from the best. My mom has developed a devout following of patients. Even when patients would move away, they would travel to keep coming to see her,” Dr. Maida says. During optometry school, she would often call her mother for guidance on prescribing glasses based on the entering VAs, current glasses, retinoscopy and refraction. “I learned how to prescribe from her,” she says.
Dr. Bennett echoes this sentiment, recognizing how her daughter’s commitment and thorough approach has enhanced the practice. “It was a delight to mentor her. She is very detailed, which helped the practice grow. We were barely a three-optometrist practice when she joined me, and over just a few years, it expanded to a five-optometrist practice, all women,” Dr. Bennett says.
Their practice radiated the family atmosphere, as Dr. Bennett created bi-annual newsletters for patients and decorated exam rooms with family pictures. “Some patients would proudly tell me how many years they had been my mother’s patients and how much I sound like her,” Dr. Maida says.
Today, Dr. Bennett enjoys her retirement while Dr. Maida takes a break to spend time with her children. Dr. Maida plans to return to work soon. “Sharing the practice and a similar career has helped us become closer than most mothers and daughters,” Dr. Bennett says. “It’s really great to have your mother understand your work so she can give life and work advice,” Dr. Maida says.
Read more stories about multi-generational ODs below.
