MEET LOCAL LEGEND: Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D.

BIOGRAPHY

Ruth A. Lawrence came of age during the Depression, a member of the World War II generation that "had nothing and did the best we could," as she recalls. In her case, that was to graduate magna cum laude from Antioch College and earn an M.D. from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, one of the few women of her era to do so.

"Honestly, we women were not welcome. I was glad to be there and just tried to do something I could," she says modestly. That included taking on the jobs that male colleagues did not want, such as responsibility for the university hospital nursery, an opportunity which Lawrence seized and, in the process, helped to pioneer neonatology as a specialty and become a world authority on the benefits of breastfeeding.

"Our motto was 'Don't let them see you sweat!" she laughs. As a prolific researcher, teacher, mentor, medical writer, international breastfeeding authority, poison control expert and, not least, mother of nine children (!), good humor and tireless commitment have hallmarked Lawrence's distinguished career.

Calling her a "sterling role model for aspiring women doctors," Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28) nominated Lawrence as a Local Legend of Medicine for her "numerous contributions to the Rochester community and to the practice of medicine," citing, especially, her "research, instruction and practice which have led to countless advancements in the field of lactation and breastfeeding."

At the University of Rochester School of Medicine, with which she has been closely associated since 1949, she is a professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the Division of Neonatology. She also is Medical Director of the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center, which she founded in 1985, and Medical Director of the Finger Lakes Regional Poison and Drug Information Center, which she has guided since 1958-after helping to organize it in 1954, the second such center to open in the country.

Author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession , the standard reference work since its 1979 publication, and many articles, chapters and reviews, Lawrence is a founding member and a past president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. As a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics work group on breastfeeding, she participated in the preparation of the Academy's statement on breastfeeding and human lactation, and is now on the Executive Committee of the Academy's Section for Breastfeeding.

"Breastfeeding makes a huge difference, physically, intellectually and emotionally," declares Lawrence, who also advocates strongly for women to become physicians. "Medicine is a great place for women. They're welcomed in most branches now and they can make great contributions-and still raise children!"

From her long vantage point, Lawrence believes the key to being a good doctor-male or female-is to really care about patients. "The science will come and go, but the best doctors understand people and are good communicators; they imbue trust and hope in people, and provide comfort when needed."