Mic Check – October Is Recognized As Breast Cancer Awareness Month w Dr Camelia Lawrence

Dr. Camelia Lawrence, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon specializing in benign and malignant breast disease. She has fellowship training in advanced breast cancer surgery, including skin and nipple-sparing mastectomy, sentinel node biopsy and oncoplastic techniques. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Fordham University and her medical degree from the University Of Rochester School Of Medicine. She completed her residency at New York Medical College. She then entered her fellowship training at the John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica in Breast Surgical Oncology. She currently serves as the Director of Breast Surgery for the Hospital of Central Connecticut and Midstate Medical Center tasked with the responsibility of further developing their breast programs. She is the Vice President for Fairfield County Medical Association.

Dr. Lawrence is a native of Jamaica. She was born in the Parish of St James. She attended Somerton All Age School and Mt Alvernia High School in Montego Bay. At age 15, she emigrated to the United States with her family. She has maintained her ties to Jamaica while abroad through membership and support of organizations such Jamaican American Association and American Friends of Jamaica. She serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, University of Connecticut where she works with medical students and surgical residents nurturing her personal interest in teaching and education of the future generation.

She has co-authored a book chapter entitled “Benign Breast Diseases” published in Berek and Novak’s Gynecology, 2012 and served as a peer-reviewer for journals. Her scholarly activities yielded abstracts, poster presentations and papers. She has received numerous awards for her commitment to service including the Dr. Kenneth Woodard Memorial Award, Rush-Henrietta Rotary Club’s Dr. Edwin Robinson Humanitarian Award, and the Carrie-Ann Smith Award. In 2015 she was chosen by the Urban League of Southern Connecticut to receive the Woman of Power Award during the Women’s Empowerment Summit. She was awarded the 2017 Doctor of Distinction Award for Fairfield County, the American Cancer Society Award for Women Leading the Way to Wellness and the Susan G. Komen Inaugural More Than Pink Honor for her commitment to breast cancer care. Most recently she received the 100 Women of Color Award in Hartford, CT and the Southern CT Black Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year Award. In 2020, she was honored by Dress for Success with The Denise “Denny” Taft Davidoff Empowerment Award that recognizes and celebrates exceptional champions of gender equity and women’s advancement.

Dr. Lawrence believes in the importance of service and volunteers her services locally through numerous organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for Women Physicians of Fairfield County, CT DPH Breast Medical Advisory Board, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain and the New England Komen Leadership Council. She is currently the Vice President of Fairfield County Medical Association in CT. Dr. Lawrence’s research interests span a wide array of topics related to breast health, including outcomes research focusing on health disparities in breast cancer. She has traveled to South Africa as a delegate from the United States for the Annual AORTIC conference focusing on “Cancer in Africa: Bridging Science and Humanity.”

She is the proud mother of two beautiful children, Ashley Jane and Nathan Phillips.