Ross Lawrenson, Professor of Population Health at the University of Waikato has been awarded Honorary Fellowship of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
Professor Lawrenson was given the award for his unfaltering commitment to primary care research and rural health. He has a significant body of research into general practice and rural health, which has involved working with experienced GPs as well as GP registrars. He is also a regular contributor to the College’s Journal of Primary Health Care.
College President, Dr Samantha Murton says, “Professor Lawrenson is an accomplished researcher and academic who has enjoyed a successful career in New Zealand and the UK and has contributed greatly to general practice research.
“He has served the GP and rural doctor community well becoming a leader in the community and regularly presenting his work at our College conferences,” she says.
Honorary Fellowship is awarded to individuals of distinction who have made an outstanding contribution to general practice or the medical profession in general. They do not need to be graduates of medicine. Professor Lawrenson was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners in the UK in 2006.
Previous Honorary Fellows include Eric Elder (CBE), Douglas Goodfellow, Lotte Newman (CBE), Dame Tariana Turia, and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. The award will be presented during the College’s 2021 conference; this year’s conference was cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns.