Lawrence said the fellowship was “pretty special”, particularly because she received it alongside her respected mentor Dr Juliet Walker from South Auckland.
“It’s the highest accolade we can get within our profession,” Lawrence said.
“The most important thing for me was being recognised with my mentor [Seiuli] Juliet Walker.
“When I went into general practice, she helped me through the training programme.
“It was special being awarded and sitting next to her during the award ceremony. It was a great honour.”
Walker, who holds the Samoan chiefly title Seiuli, is a specialist GP dedicated to advocating for Pacific health through her work at both clinical and governance levels.
Other fellowship recipients were Dr Glenn Doherty (Ngāti Porou) from Auckland, Dr Jason Tuhoe (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Pikiao) from Tairāwhiti and Dr Andrew Webster from Auckland.
Lawrence, a Samoan GP based in Whangārei, grew up in South Auckland.
But with her mum from Maromaku and her husband of Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Maniapoto descent, it was an “easy shift” to move to Northland with their children in 2005.
Lawrence initially worked at Ngāti Hine Health Trust in Kawakawa, then ran a practice in Paihia.
In 2013, she opened Te Whareora o Tikipunga, a family-focused community health and wellbeing centre.
Lawrence said she is passionate about overcoming inequities that still exist for Māori and Pacific populations, which is “one of the reasons I opened the Tikipunga clinic”.
She hoped to inspire young people to take up medicine as a career.
“It was a big thing for the younger generations to see they can achieve this; for our up-and-coming medical trainees and the younger generation thinking about health as a career.
“To see there’s pathways and the ability to achieve to the top of your scope.”
Lawrence has served as chairwoman of the National Advisory Council, an advisory committee made up of college members from across the regions, and as an ex officio member of the college board.
She has sat on boards at a public health organisation level and is an academic co-ordinator for the University of Auckland, where she sat on the board of examiners.
In 2022, Lawrence was awarded the Pacific Medical Association’s Life Award for her contribution and service to the Pacific community.
College president Bradford said, “Dr Lawrence’s drive to improve the health and wellbeing of her Pacific community is evident through her ongoing advocacy and governance work where she shares her perspectives and first-hand experiences on Pacific health to ensure the issues and solutions are heard across the sector.”
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and animal welfare issues.
